


Trick or Treat – Why I (do not) hate Halloween

by LittleMrsCookie



Category: Avengers Assemble (Cartoon), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Vampire, BAMF Darcy Lewis, Biting, Blood Drinking, Character Turned Into Vampire, Darcy Lewis-centric, Darcy Lewis/Dracula, Dubious Consent, F/M, Halloween, Not Canon Compliant, SHIP DARCY LEWIS WITH ALL THE THINGS, Vampire Bites, Vampire Darcy Lewis, Vampire Steve Rogers, Vampire Turning, Vampire!Darcy, Vampire!Steve, Vampires, Witches, wrong eye color
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2020-03-16
Packaged: 2021-01-04 17:36:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 44,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21201488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleMrsCookie/pseuds/LittleMrsCookie
Summary: Darcy's Halloween officially sucked. Not only was she stuck in the middle of the woods on Halloween … Clint Barton also shows up with a Hydra scientist who needs protection from real life vampires.I'm reworking this, I learned so much since starting to write in english 🙄





	1. Trick or Treat

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the Marvel Avengers Assemble Season 4 Episode 8 – Why I hate Halloween  
I have a feeling that the entire Episode would have gone different if our beloved taser wielding assistant was involved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't stop laughing when Dracula stood in front of the door
> 
> Darcy has **green** eyes in this story. It will be explained later on.

Darcy's Halloween sucked … like sooo much. Instead of being at Avengers Tower and preparing for the onslaught of little kids, dressed up as their hero's, knocking on the towers doors, she was stuck in the middle of nowhere due to a little accident involving Tony's experiments and two idiots … cough … Thor …. cough … Hulk … smashing the experiment's contents all over her.

It made her highly toxic, so anyone who touched her ended up as a quivering blob on the floor. Sadly it also happened if people were near her long enough. Thankfully it would wear off in about three days, according to Tony. The big idiots, yeah she included Tony, where very sorry, but that didn't undo the damage and now she was stuck here in isolation, Halloween-less, until it wore off.

Well at least she got everything else she wanted, high speed internet connection, all the channels known to mankind, lots of high tech gizmos lying around and a billionaire feeling guilty about what happened to her. So she might have shed some crocodile tears and gotten a very new, very shiny and high voltage taser out of it … and some very expensive swiss chocolate, and a really fancy coffee machine, but it wasn't like Tony didn't deserve to grovel a little.

She usually didn't like it when he paid for all of the things, she was a modern woman, she could very well pay for her own things, but she still had student loans and Tony didn't know how else to show that he was sorry.

Like a simple “sorry” and a hug wouldn't have been enough, but due to her new toxic skin there was no hugging. She couldn't stay at the tower and she refused to stay in a containment box for four weeks, so Tony had offered her a paid vacation in one of his many houses. She had food delivered once every two days and could order everything she wanted online.

Jarvis occasionally merged with the house programming and analyzed her current state of “toxic” with a scanner Tony had build exceptionally for her.

So she had stocked up on sweets and was currently channel surfing, wearing comfy orange and black striped leggings and a cozy knitted sweater dress along with a pair of bright green Hulk socks. Hearing something outside made her pause and turn to the door, her hand fumbling for the taser.

“Please be Clint, please be Clint” she mumbled, crossing her fingers. She and Clint liked to hang out sometimes and she knew he disliked Halloween, so it was possible he decided to visit her to avoid the usual chaos of Halloween at the tower. When the door opens she is delighted to see it really is Clint but he looks rather shocked to see her.

“Darcy!?” he almost shouts in surprise.

“Sup Clint” she asks, shooting finger guns at him.

“Shit” he curses. “Daww you hurt my feelings, that was not the greeting I expected” she winks and sniffs a little.

“God damn it Darcy. I'm here on a mission, are you still toxic?” he asks seriously.

“Only when touched, air is safe now, so no danger from me until you decide to get handsy” she tells him with a wink, turning off the television and rising to her feet.

“Shit, well it is too late to switch to another safe house now” he grumbles and ushers a woman inside.

“Darcy, meet evil hydra scientist Dr. Frost” he says gesturing towards the black haired woman.

“Frost, this is Darcy, her skin's toxic so stay away from her” he warns the doctor.

“You forgot that I am a genius in your lovely introduction” the woman snarks.

“At least she snarks, but seriously sister, you know Hydra bad, Avengers good” Darcy tells her while gesturing with two bars of chocolate. “Clint, why are you ruining my horrible isolated Halloween with a hydra goon” she whines, turning towards Clint.

“Sorry hun, someone mustn't have gotten the memo that this safe house was taken and the evil goon needs looking after” Clint grins and does quotation marks when he says “goon”, the hydra scientist frowns at them.

“Eh, the rest is super classified I'm sure … so coffee? I made Tony install me a super fancy coffee machine. I baptized him and everything. Igor is really good at making coffee” Darcy tells them and Clint eyes brighten.

“Yeah. I'd like for Igor to make me coffee but I need to secure the house first, play nice. I need her alive, so no touching” Clint tells her, wiggling his finger at her playfully.

“Which one of us do you mean?” Darcy asks with wide round and innocent eyes, doing her best to pout at him and he walks upstairs with a laugh. “So evil science lady want some coffee?” Darcy asks with a bright grin.

She looks the scientists lady over, tall, thin and attractive, she definitely could do better than Hydra. The woman looks at her and sights, the angry frown on her face lightening somewhat.

“Coffee actually sounds nice” she admits reluctant.

“Great. Igor's over there, he's the charming little silver fellow, mugs are in this cupboard … don't look at me like that science lady. I thought you were a genius. I'm sure you can figure Igor out, all he needs is a firm but gentle hand ... or don't they teach the magixs of coffee at Hydra? Anyway I'm toxic, I'd rather not accidentally kill you with a cup of coffee when Hawkeye still needs you alive and kicking” she babbles a little and her grin widens when she sees the evil genius smile a little.

“So, who are you anyway?” Dr. Frost asks her and she wiggles a finger at the woman.

“Uh uh, I'm not going to tell you anything evil Hydraling” Darcy tells her, having her own cup of coffee she sits down on the sofa, puts her feet up on the coffee table and turns the television back on.

There is an old black and white version of Dracula on and she giggles when the main actress screams her head off. The evil hydra scientist lady is unusual quite and pale, clearly uncomfortable with the chosen program and Darcy is not that evil, she switches channels until she finds an amusing kids show. Clearly evil Hydra scientist lady couldn't stomach screaming woman and Darcy was not going to question why, the woman had probably seen too much while working for Hydra, not that she felt particular sorry for her. She seemed nice enough but all crazy people appeared nice at first glance.

“House, give me a location on Captain America and give me my backup quiver” Clint said while coming down the steps. The sun had set by now and Darcy was busy preparing dinner, while wearing special gloves, which Tony had made for her, she didn't want to accidentally poison Clint.

“This is so unfair” Dr. Frost complained. “The Avengers have all this but don't do anything with it. At least Hydra tries to change the world” she says, crossing her arms.

“No. Hydra wants to own the world. The Avengers safe the world. You're a genius Frost, you know I'm right” Clint answers her. Darcy can see the doctor glowering at Clint but her expression softens, her arms stay crossed in front of her, still defiant, clearly she was upset that Clint was right. “No respond from Cap? House, try him again” Clint says looking at the screen.

Darcy is busy chopping carrots. Clint had not told her what was going on exactly, but he had hinted some things, she had her taser secured on her belt and Clint had given her a knife. That alone would have caused her to be alarmed but she also felt a strange tingling sensation.

Her granny had always said it meant that something meaningful was about to happen and she had always believed it to be true, she had had that feeling when she met Jane and look where it had brought her.

People tended to underestimate her, so she had googled how to make a flour-bomb really quick and prepared some, they just needed some kind of detonator, which she was sure, Clint could provide if they were needed. Right now they stood lined up on the kitchen aisle looking all inconspicuous. Like she was measuring ingredients for cupcakes, thought she noticed Clint's calculating look and grinned at him.

“The vampires got him, it's the only answer” Dr. Frost says and Darcy pauses in her cutting.

“The vampires didn't get him. House give me a location on Black Widow” Clint tells her calmly.

“Wait, what?! Vampires? Like … I will feast upon your blood” Darcy asks from the kitchen aisle.

“That's impossible. According to this, Black Widow is here” Clint says ignoring her question. Darcy glances at the screen that shows the Widows symbol right in front of the door and her gaze flickers to the door nervously, she was no spy or superhero, but even she knew something bad was about to happen. Just as she finished the thought the door exploded and she ducked beneath the aisle with a small alarmed scream.

“Hey Hawkeye, wanna come out and play?” a male voice asks tauntingly and she glances out from behind the counter.

“Crossbones and the Crimson Widow” Clint says nonchalant, two arrows already in his bow. Dr. Frost is smiling behind his back, clearly happy to be rescued.

“Look at this, they sent us to fetch Frost but looks like we get to hurt Hawkeye. Bonus” the muscular man in the black outfit says, sounding far to pleased and she was sure he was smiling underneath the skull mask of his.

“Barely half an Avenger. So dull. I've wanted Romanov” the blond woman, who has an alarmingly similar outfit to Natasha, says. Dr. Frost runs towards the two off them, ducking behind Clint while she does.

“Aww, you're not getting what you want, but you'll get the butt kicking you deserve” Hawkeye tells them and shots his arrows. He turns immediately afterwards and runs in her direction. One of his arrows hits Crossbones who is electrified and stumbles back out of the door. The Crimson Widow avoids his arrow.

“House, emergency lock down” Clint shouts and the windows and doors fall shut. Crimson Widow shoots at Clint who runs to avoid being hit. Darcy still huddles behind the counter waiting for the right moment to strike.

“So careless Hawkeye. Forgetting to disable the bikes tracker. Frost, make yourself useful and open the doors” she commands and Frost runs towards the console.

“Oh no you don't” Darcy mumbles to herself and trips the evil science lady, who glares at her. “Ups” Darcy smiles innocently.

“A civilian? That is low, even for you Hawkeye” the Crimson Widow comments, shooting at her. Darcy barely manages to duck behind the counter again and Dr. Frost manages to reach the console.

The doors open and Hawkeye shoots the doctor with a net arrow when she tries to run. “What? Leaving so soon?” he questions and then ducks behind a column near her when Crossbones shoots at him with a machine gun, he hits him with an ice arrow. The Crimson Widow shoots at Hawkeye again who avoids her shootings.

Darcy still cowers behind the kitchen counter, pointing her taser at Dr. Frost who glares back at her. “You run and I'll shoot you evil science lady” she warns her.

When the Crimson Widow turns to free Crossbones from his ice prison, Clint quickly turns to put the house back into lock down mode.

“You waste our time Hawkeye. I disabled your defensive weapon systems” the Crimson Widow tells him.

“Yeah, and I just reset them. House target hostiles” Clint tells her grinning smugly, while weapons emerge from the walls and ceiling pointing at them.

Darcy feels a weight drop of her shoulders, she didn't want to die on Halloween, she was sure if she did, she would come back as a ghost and haunt Tony for the rest of his life. Which would be awesome but she was sure it would get boring. Tony surely would figure out some machine which would hold her off. Ghostbuster Tony. She giggled.

They stand there, pointing weapons at each other and she stands up slowly.

“Dude … do you seriously have a crossbones weapon holder on your belt. How awesome is that? Who builds things like that for villains?” she questions while moving closer to Clint, pointing her taser at Crossbones who glances at her, she is sure he is smirking at her from underneath his mask, his eyes crinkling a little as if he were smiling. “Clint, do they have like an evil Tony that builds them things?” she asks him.

“Darcy, no admiring the villains outfit, we discussed this already” he sights.

“But ...crossbones weapon holder! Who thinks of that?” she is grinning at the villain. Due to his mask she can't see his expression but his eyes are crinkled a little so she assumes he is amused.

“Enough” Crimson Widow yells at them.

A knock startles them all.

“You expecting somebody?” Clint asks and she can hear how tense he is.

“Frost, open the shields” Crimson Widow commands and the doctor moves to the touch screen, her fingers flying over the keyboard.

“Nobody's there” Clint says, glancing at the security screen and then frowning. The heavy security doors unlock and slide open. Everyone tenses even more.

“Dracula” Clint says, sounding quite alarmed.

The large man standing in the doorway is wearing a black medieval styled armor and a cape, his skin is blue and he has long white hair, his eyes are glowing red and his ears long like that of an elf. Behind him some strange hissing creatures could be seen, they had dark leathery skin and glowing eyes, sharp fangs and claws and looked nothing like she imagined vampires to look like.

“Good evening, what is that quaint western expression? Oh yes … Trick or Treat” he greets them and his voice turns halfway into a growl while he grins at them with fangs and all. Darcy can't help the giggle that escapes her mouth, she lowers her taser and grabs the candy bowl. If she was to die on Halloween, killed by vampires no less, she wanted to go out with style, so she moved to the door and shoved the candy bowl into his hands.

“Enjoy your treats” she tells him cheerfully.

“Darcy” Clint warns her.

“But Clint, he said Trick or Treat and I'd much rather give him a treat” she pouts sultrily, she can hear Crossbones snort behind his mask, the Crimson Widow glares at her partner.

Darcy thinks she sees the ghost of a smile cross the vampires king's face but it is gone so fast she isn't sure if her adrenaline pumped brain made it up. She slowly walks back towards Clint, seeing that the vampire made no move to enter the house, which was strange.

So vampires where real and they didn't look like they glittered either, kudos for them, because she would have died of laughing if some glittering boy stood in front of the door.

“Dracula is not here for you Avenger and not for these Hydra fools either. I have come for her” he says while looking at the scientist lady, who gasps in fear and takes a few steps back. Sucks to be her, Darcy thought to herself and almost snickered at her own pun.

“She has meddled in the affairs of the vampires, she must be chastised. Hand her over to me now and perhaps I will allow you to life” he drawls while his vampires hiss and growls around him, they are much smaller and skinny.

“Dramatic much” Darcy mumbles and Clint's mouth twitches in amusement.

Crossbones and the Crimson Widow turn towards the scientists lady who by now is standing behind her and Clint.

“Yeah, that's not happening” Clint tells them, raising his bow. “No chastising tonight Toothboy” Clint says and Darcy laughs, hiding it behind the hand.

“Toothboy?!” Dracula sounds offended and perplexed at the same time. “Have you just called the immortal Dracula, lord of all vampires … Toothboy?” he sounds really angry now and Clint smirks.

“At least it wasn't Edward” Darcy jokes and Clint snorts.

“I know the rules Drac, this is my house. You and the bite brigade can't set one toe in here unless I invite you and guess what, you are sooo not invited” Clint chuckles, that explained a lot, Darcy thought to herself. Dracula's face switches from annoyed to angry and to almost calm. Darcy has a bad feeling about it.

“And what will you say if there is no house in which to invite me? What Dracula desires, Dracula will have” he tells them with a hiss. “Tear the house down. The woman will suffer our wrath, the others will suffer death” he commands. Darcy hits the large Lock Down button, the windows and the door close again.

The house is falling apart around them from the onslaught of the vampires. “I thought you said this place could hold off the Hulk” Dr. Frost sounds angry.

“Well yeah, it can see the Hulk but vampires are invisible to tech. House can't fight what it can't see” Clint retorts.

“We're stuck in here. What are we supposed to do” Crossbones says.

“Get to the middle of the cabin is our best bet. We have to hold em off as long as we can” Clint answers.

“We?” Crimson Widow sounds offended and surprised at the same time. “What makes you think we worked with the likes of you?” she asks.

“Because your lives are one the line here too. We team up and eventually walk out of here alive. Or do you want to do your own thing and we all get whipped out” Clint tells them.

All of them stare at each other and Darcy dashes to the counter. “I've made some flour bombs earlier, but they still need a detonator, something hot enough to ignite the flour” she tells them.

“What kind of civilian are you?” Crimson Widow asks, sounding surprised.

“The best” Darcy grins at her. “Come on doc, you're supposed to be some kind of genius, think you can brew us something that goes all boom and bang?” she asks Dr. Frost, pulling cleaning supplies out from underneath the counter with a wicked grin.

“I just might” the doctor answers her with a smile of her own.

“Fine, we team up” Crimson Widow agrees and she and Crossbones walks closer.

“Hand me one of those flour bombs sweetheart. I got some shells that will get along great with em” he says and Darcy can hear the grin in his voice.

Just then the vampires manage to break through the walls and everyone starts shooting at them. “It's like wack a mole with vampires” Clint grins and edges towards one of the holes in the walls. He starts shooting out of it.

Darcy feel anxious, minutes feel like an eternity to her while she tries her best to help, handing flour bombs to Crossbones and using her taser occasionally. With every new hole in the walls or the roof she feels anxiety creeping into her heart.

Death by vampires sounded cool theoretically, but in reality she could imagine far nicer deaths than being ripped apart by those fangs and claws and Shield would never tell anybody anyway, they would probably come up with a lousy cover story of some mountain lion attack or something.

Dr. Frost tipped away on the computer and suddenly the house defense system was up and shooting.

“I thought you said the house couldn't see vampires” Crossbones half asks and half snarks.

“It can't. So I set the firing pattern to random. I'm a genius, remember?” Dr. Frost retorts and a few seconds later the defense system is down again. “The house defense system just went down. Someone must have tampered with it” Dr. Frost says alarmed.

“It was Crimson Widow. She sabotaged the systems earlier” Crossbones tells them.

“And you helped me do it” Crimson Widow tells him, flips her hair and walks a few steps away from him. “This is pointless. We can't hold out forever” Crimson Widow says.

“The vamps don't even want us. Maybe we could just finish them off and bail” Crossbones suggests.

“Hydra sent you to rescue me” Dr. Frost tells them angrily.

“Hey, I made you flour bombs you big meanie” Darcy shouts at him.

“You're not an asset anymore, you're a liability. Hydra cuts it's losses when necessary” Crimson Widow tells Dr. Frost with an evil glare.

A knock on the door makes all of them pause.

“Who wants to answer that?” Clint asks. “Anyone?” he asks again. “Man, I do anything around here” he complains with a sigh. He walks towards the door and points an explosive arrow at the dent in the door.

“Dracula's patience is at an end bowman. I should slay each of you but I'm not going to” the vampire lord tells them.

“You're not?” Clint asks.

“Yeah, no death by vampire on Darcy's gravestone” the sarcastic cheering leaves Darcy's mouth, and she raises her hand in a tired triumph position.

“I'm offering you a deal. You four a free to go and will not be harmed. As lord of all vampires you have my word. All I want is the Frost woman” he offers.

“Nothing changed Drac, you're out there and we're in here. The five of us can take anything you got” Clint tells him.

“The five of you?” Dracula asks. Clint turns to Crossbones and the Crimson Widow leaving through the backdoor. “You know, I kind of saw that coming” Clint curses heading back to Darcy and Dr. Frost. “You should leave with them” Clint says softly.

“Are you out of your mind. Even if the vampires let me through, the backstabbing hydra goons are going to shot or kidnap me” Darcy hisses back at him. “I'd rather die at your side any day Clint” she tells him, he smiles softly at her.

“You should have taken my offer. My forces are replenished while yours are at low ebb. Breath your last among the living and then join the undead” he taunts them and a new wave of vampires attack the cabin. The wood breaks and Darcy grabs her taser and some garlic, having run out of flour bombs.

“This was Captain America's plan all along. Sacrifice me and the weakest Avenger to save Manhatten” Dr. Frost says.

“Uhm … words hurt. Besides that's Hydra thinking. Avengers find a way. There is always a way” Clint tells her seriously.

“Clint” Darcy isn't ashamed of the fear in her voice, she backs up against him, while the vampires rip apart the last of the house. Her knuckles are white from her tight hold on the taser in her hands.

“The house is no more. Leave the women to me and dispose of the bowman” Dracula orders and Darcy feels the blood drain from her face.

“Do something, use your arrows or something” Dr. Frost shouts in panic.

“Eat garlic you snarling gremlins” Darcy shouts while hurling garlic their way.

“Frost, you are a genius” Clint suddenly sounds cheerful. “House, cozy fire” he shouts and throws his bow and quiver into the fire.

“Have you lost your mind?!” Dr. Frost asks him flabbergasted.

“Yeah, probably” Clint tells her, grabbing Darcy and Frost by their upper arms.

“Hawkeye!” Dr. Frost screams.  
“Clint” Darcy joins in when the fire explodes.

“So … new friendship rules. Immortal vampire Darcy sounds cool, but not cool if it means I'm going to be a slave to that wack job trying to rule over the world. So if I get turned into one of the ugly bite brigade you got to find a way to turn me back or kill me. Turning back is the preferred option by the way unless I can keep the powers and my looks, who wants to look like a bitey gremlin anyway … and my mind, then I would definitely stay a vampire … although I would miss the sun … not that I get to see it a lot with those crazy working hours of Jane … do you think drinking blood out of blood bags is an option?” she rambles while they rush through the secret escape tunnel.

“Okay Darcy” he agrees with a shake of his head.

“You two are crazy” Dr. Frost tells them. “Thank you” both of them chorus while the three of them rush through the escape tunnel.

“Bowman!” the shout echoes through the tunnel just as they reach the end of it and enter the forest.

“I mean, why is it so hard for these people to remember my name” Clint complains while panting for air.

“This is no time for jokes” Dr. Frost tells him angrily.

“Well actually it's the perfect time for jokes” Clint shrugs his shoulders.

“They don't call you by your name because they are idiots and underestimate you. Just cause you got no fancy superpowers, they think they can easily defeat you” Darcy tells him.

“Hey” Clint complains. “I'm a perfectly fine Avenger” Clint says sticking up his nose.

“Don't be a dork, you know I meant it as a compliment. People underestimate me too and then I taser them” Darcy grins at him and Frost shakes her head. They hear hissing and growling behind them and start running again.

“Have you ever heard the one about ...” Clint trails off when Dr. Frost groans loudly.

“How can you be this flip, we are in the middle of a forest. You are only as good as your arrows which you blew up” Dr. Frost angrily yells at him while they run.

“Yeah when you put it that way it sounds pretty bad” Clint agrees.

“Both of you shut up or do you think they have those large ears for show. I really was just joking earlier” Darcy chides them.

The snarling grew closer and a vampire jumped towards them. “Move” Clint orders grabbing a tree branch, ripping it off, and throwing it at the vampire. It stuck it right in the middle of the chest and the vampire burst into a strange black dust.

“There are more coming” Dr. Frost calls worriedly while Clint gathers more branches, throwing them at the vampires very precisely. Each hit its mark and left black clouds of death vampires.

“Haha, see wood. It's the one thing vampires really can't stand and we are in the middle of a forest. I told you. I know the rules. I have a plan” Clint tells her, crossing his arms in front of him.

“But you won't be able to stop them all” Dr. Frost tells him.

“Man, did Hydra just give you a big old bag of I give up when they recruited you? Come on” he tells them and starts running again.

“You know she's right, you should at least have kept your bow” Darcy tells him.

“Yeah, yeah, rub it in, will ya” Clint glares at her and picks up his running pace.

“Dear god, if I survive this I'll burn all my vampire novels and accept Steve's offer on those running lessons” Darcy gasps for air while following after them, she hears Clint chuckling up ahead.

“Clint” Darcy gasps. “I need to catch my breath” she manages to say between gasps for air and they come to an halt. Darcy is relieved that she's not the only one panting hard, the hydra doctor doesn't look good either.

While they catch their breath, Clint is climbing a tree as if they didn't just run for at least half an hour straight through a pitch black forest.

“Please tell me … they can't find us … they don't have like super sense of smell or heat sight do they? Can they turn into bats?” she questions looking between Clint, who is still in a tree, and the doc.

“To be honest I don't know about the sense of smell, but they are faster than us and are adapted to hunting … well humans” the hydra doctor tells her.

“Well shit, what a way to die” Darcy grumbles and slides to the forest floor with a sigh. Dr. Frost is leaning against one of the trees when Darcy hears the hissing and growling of the vampires, searching the woods.

“Can we call for help?” Dr. Frost asks and Darcy looks at her wide eyed, hadn't she just said that vampires heard very well.

“Tried that, no signal” Clint answers, collecting wood.

“What are you doing up there? They'll catch us if we don't keep moving” she shouts and her shout alerts the vampires. She notices too and her voice falters. “Hawkeye” she screams, almost shrilly and starts running again. “They found me” she screams once more.

Darcy meanwhile continues to sit against the base of the tree, she is hidden behind large tree roots on either side and wonders why the doc is screaming so much. For a genius she sure was dumb sometimes, alerting the vampires to her position with her screaming.

Darcy looks around carefully, there was a lot of hissing and growling to her right side, where Frost had run and Clint was. She grabs her taser tighter, the vampires hadn't noticed her yet and moved past her.

What was she supposed to do now, follow the vampires and hoping they wouldn't notice her was risky but not following them and loosing Clint and the Hydra doctor in a vampire infested forest seemed even riskier.

“God damn it, I swear if I survive this night I'll have Tony build me a fucking anti-vampire flashlight and not move from the couch for days” she growls to herself while climbing to her feet. Her legs burn and so do her lungs but the worst part is the lack of sleep and the fact that she missed dinner, she had never felt this exhausted in her entire life and she practically freezes when she hears a deep chuckle right behind her, she twirls around and stares at him like a deer caught in the headlights.

“I assure you, you won't be able to ask Tony anything anymore” Dracula tells her with a sharp and sinister smile.

She gulps, her eyes wide. Darcy can't move her limps for the life of her, not because she couldn't move but because she knew it would be senseless, at least she's not screaming like those movie damsels. Ironically a sudden cold wind sweeps through the forest and blows his cape epically, she would be so impressed if he wasn't about to kill her.

“Yeah, you know, blue just doesn't suit me and red eyes? No thanks, besides … I'm far too young for white hair” she tells him moving backwards a few steps. He grins at her and she kicks her feet in the leaves, the wind blowing them directly into his face.

Her legs burn while she runs in the direction of Clint, in her heart she knows there is no way she would make it.

She still screams in frustration when something tackles her from behind and she crashes into the forest floor. Darcy feels her rips cracking, she can hear it too, an ugly crunching sound, when she hits the floor and a heavy weight lands on her.

Pain shots through her and she tastes blood suddenly, she had bitten her lip upon impact. A large hand roughly grabs her upper arm and pulls her around, so she is lying on her back. Her eyes are closed for a moment, everything hurts, her entire body feels like it's on fire, she groans in pain. She doubts she could escape even if she somehow managed to stand back up.

Darcy's eyes flutter open, meeting crimson red ones. Had the situation been differently she would have found their position quite erotic, because damn those muscles, that jaw line and those teeth did things for her, but given the situation wasn't out of one of her smutty vampire novels she fought down the blush on her cheeks.

“Get off me you blood sucking leech” she rasps out weakly.

“Tell me where they are and I'll end your pain” he offers and she must have hit her head harder than she thought because she could swear that there was something like worry in his crimson eyes. 

“Bite me” she hisses, coughing up blood. She sees his nostrils flare and his gaze lingers on her bloody lips, she hoped dearly that the toxic of her skin would be enough to render him useless for the rest of the night, she didn't dare to hope it would actually kill him.

Why the hell didn't he bite her, seconds passed by painfully slow and he made no move to bite her. She had to make sure he touched her skin or otherwise he would just move on after killing her and she wouldn't die without giving Clint the head start he needed.

Darcy grabbed her taser and with the rest of her energy she lifted her arm and pulled the trigger. Electricity shot through both of them and she heard herself scream, which was strange because it didn't feel like it was her that was screamed, it felt like she watched a stranger scream. After that, she felt and heard nothing, only sweet oblivion.


	2. Pizza and Traps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Darcy has **green** eyes in this story. It will be explained later on.

Darcy woke up slowly, feeling groggy like she had a bad flu and taken too much medicine, which tended to make her groggy and slow, she counted that as a good omen. It meant she had been saved and was in some kind of hospital room or something.

Slowly her grogginess faded away and her senses returned. She was laying on her back in quite a comfortable position, the pillow underneath her head was soft enough to be comfortable but firm enough to support her head just right.

A blanket was draped over her, a little on the heavy side but it was soft to the touch and kept her at a cozy temperature, which was a blessing in itself, she tended to overheat underneath even the thinnest of blankets but just couldn't manage to fall asleep without one.

The air smelled clean and fresh, like a forest after some rain, a really relaxing smell. Far better than the usual stale air of hospitals that smelled far too much like disinfection and latex. The familiar smell of a fire in the fireplace relaxed her even more, after having spend almost four weeks in the cabin she was used to a fireplace.

A log of wood cracked in the fireplace and she wondered why she couldn't hear the beeping of a heart monitor, wasn't that a classic when a waking up after a near death experience? And what kind of drugs was she on that she couldn't feel any pain at all, she had her lungs pierced right? That was what coughing up blood meant.

Darcy's eyes flew open with sudden alarm, her hands almost slapping her own neck at the speed of which she brought them up to feel her neck.

“Thanks Thor” she breaths a sight of relief when she can't feel a bite wound but her heart still beats fast while she looks around. “Please let that mean I won't turn into a vampire” she whispers to herself and sits up. No pain at all, nothing, which was suspicious, she wondered if a vampire healed from the bite wound that turned them.

She felt a surge of fear and her heart beat faster, that wouldn't happen if she were a vampire, right?

Taking a few breaths she tried to calm herself, panicking wouldn't do her any good. She glances around, trying to get a grip of herself and figure out what was going on. First, which she was very thankful for, she was wearing clothes, not her own clothes but clothes. Very, very nice clothes she decided.

She was dressed in a blood red dress robe thingy which she had seen rich woman wear in movies. If the color choice hadn't been a death given away, the medieval room would have been.

Darcy was sitting on a king sized wooden canopy bed, heavy red velvet drapes where secured to the bedposts on each corner of the bed. It wasn't a coffin and it was super comfy, she counted that as a huge plus.

The walls of the rooms where cold stones, not plastered but covered with expensive looking tapestries. The floor was covered in carpets and there was a huge bearskin in front of the fireplace. Old wooden furniture decorated the room, an elaborated carved wardrobe was on one side of the room, as well as a wooden chest with iron mountings, which she had only ever seen in pirate movies before.

All in all the room looked like it jumped out of a fairy tale, expect for the black and red color scheme, which gave it just enough of a sinister touch to look like it was out of a horror story, which Darcy mused, considering her current situation, it was.

So, it was kind of obvious that she was in some medieval castle that belonged to Dracula, no surprise there, the question was … why wasn't she a vampire. Darcy was positive she wasn't, her miraculous healing ignored, she felt like herself and she felt no urge to drink blood or to follow any orders of the blood sucking bastard.

Her skin wasn't blue at all and her hair wasn't turning white, her teeth felt normal when her tongue darted across them and her stomach rumbled, damn it, she had missed dinner and had been knocked out for who knows how long.

Pizza would be really good right now. Since she was carving pizza and the thought of drinking blood did not appear appealing in any kind of way, she was pretty sure no bitey bitey had happened. Still, she was not done with her observance.

The room appeared empty but that didn't mean it was, she neither had Clint's sight nor Natasha's experience but she was pretty sure she was somehow watched. Someone had tended to the fire rather recently, she could tell because some of the wood logs looked like they had been added not too long ago. She had no way to estimate how long ago but they were barely burned so she guessed about fifteen minutes.

Darcy bit her lip, she had no way to estimate what time or what day it was. The curtains on the huge windows where drawn shut but she had a suspicion that it was dark outside. After contemplating what to do, she decided to leave the bed, she couldn't keep sitting there forever and there was a changing screen on the right side of the bedroom, she hoped to find more practical clothes there.

Slipping her feet out of the bed she almost expected that something would grab her from underneath the bed, a shiver ran down her spine. Nothing happened though and she sighted in relief, walking slowly towards the changing screen.

The stone floor was ice cold and she was glad for the many carpets, her fingers twitched to pull open the curtains but thoughts of vampire bats attacking her out of nowhere kept her curiosity at bay. She at least wanted to wear more than a dress robe when attacked, so her feet carried her to the changing screen obediently.

Darcy bites the inside of her lips when she glances behind the screen. The dress was beautiful, if it were white it could pass as the wedding dress of a princess. She had been expecting a dress, just not such a beautiful one … and the neckline wasn't low either, instead lace covered the entire front and the neck.

Her eyes narrowed, someone had put pretty much thought in that dress. Darcy's inner feminist screamed at her to throw it into the fire just out of spite, she wasn't some pretty little damsel in distress. Her inner girl screamed for the feminist to shut up and wear it already. Her rational side shook her head at both of them.

There was no way she couldn't wear it, for one she didn't want to keep wearing the dress robe, for another she didn't want to anger her host unnecessary and it wasn't some scandalous low cut thing, so she would play along for now.

With a defeated sigh she let the dress robe fall to the floor around her feet and slipped into the provided undergarments before pulling the dress over her head. Stepping out from behind the dressing screen she looked at herself in the mirror on the other side, very glad that she had a reflection.

The deep purple of the dress was beautiful but it made her look especially pale. Thanks Frigga she was quite bendy from all that yoga, otherwise she would have never managed to close even half of the buttons on the back.

She should have realized that it was a mistake to look at the mirror while fumbling with the buttons on her back. Darcy had her back arched and her head turned sideways to look at the mirror, while her hands worked the buttons on her back.

Darcy nearly jumped out of her skin when Dracula appeared right behind her. His large hands patted away hers and she stiffened her back while his hands made quick work of the last buttons. Darcy was quite proud of herself for not screaming but that didn't mean she wasn't frightened out of her mind at the moment.

“You are a curious one, I expected more screaming” he tells her, moving his head towards her neck, his breath hot against her ear while his hand moves her hair out of the way. She shrugs him off lightly, surprised that he allows her to move away so easily while she turns to face him.

“Why should I scream? Surely you wouldn't go through all the trouble of saving my life and dressing me up prettily if all you wanted to was to bite me” she tells him, her green eyes meeting his crimson ones, calculating his every move.

He is standing right in front of her now and she has to crane her neck to met his gaze. Dracula was still wearing the black armor and cape he had worn when attacking them. The smile that appears on his face shows off his sharp fangs.

“You sound so sure but your heart flutters so beautifully” he is grinning at her, his large form easily towering over her. He takes a step closer and leans forward, extending a hand towards her and Darcy takes a few step back, gulping down her fear, she sees his grin widening at having successfully frightened her.

If it was true and he could hear her heartbeat he would no doubt hear it pick up quite a pace. Her quick retort died on her lips when she saw that he didn't mean to grab her at all, instead he was holding out her phone towards her.

It promptly started ringing with Clint's ringtone.

“You might want to answer that … the bowman must be quite worried” he tells her sounding sympathetically. That bastard was using her, not that she hadn't known that before, but seeing him looking so smugly made her want to hit him repeatedly and then taser him for good measures.

Pursing her lips she grabs the phone and answers the call, bringing it to her ear, all the while meeting Dracula's gaze.

“Clint” she says and she hates how pathetic her voice sounds.

“Darcy” the single word, her name spoken in a familiar voice, nearly brings tears to her eyes. “Are you … alright?” Clint asks, there is a awkward pause in his question and she knows she is on speakers.

Darcy glances at Dracula from underneath her lashes, she had lowered her gaze briefly when Clint had answered her, the vampire is still looking at her intensely.

“Darcy?” Clint's questions is soft, she had never heard him sound so vulnerable.

“I … I am alright. I still have a reflection” she answers him.

“He's there isn't he?” Clint asks.

“Yes … Dracula is standing right in front of me” she answers hesitantly, she doesn't know what Dracula wants her to say, but she is pretty sure it doesn't matter, he was using her to get to Clint.

His crimson eyes are gleaming in the dimly lit room, not leaving her form for even a second. Clint is cursing under his breath, she can hear him quite clearly and apparently so does Dracula if she interpreted his smirk correctly.

“Congratulate the bowman for getting away from me successfully” Dracula instructs her.

“Uh Clint … he wants to congratulate you for getting away from him” she parrots into the phone.

“His skills where impressive for a simple mortal” Dracula tells her.

“Your skills are impressive” she parrots again, she has a really bad feeling about the direction the conversation was heading.

“Darcy … can you give him the phone?” Clint asks gently.

“He … wants to speak to you directly” Darcy tells the vampire.

“I already have Jarvis running scans for your location Darcy. Don't worry, we'll get you out of there and kick papa smurf's butt in the process” Darcy can hear Tony yell in the background.

Dracula is suddenly standing behind her, only a gust of cold air indicating that he moved at all and a shiver runs down her back, goosebumps appearing on her bare skin. She stiffens when his armored hands move around her, one large finger pushing the speaker button.

“Hello bowman” he drawls sounding almost bored.

“Quit playing games, what do you want?” Clint demands, the anger in his voice blatant.

“Hmm, what could I possible want when I have such lovely company?” Dracula taunts him, grabbing a strand of her hair which he twirls in between his fingers. “How do you humans say, smile for the camera” he is grinning tauntingly, his head resting on her shoulder, while his hand adjusts her hand so the phone is facing them.

“I'm sure that by now the Ironman has accessed your phone's camera. How unfortunate for him that Dracula is invisible to them” he drawls. Her own eyes widen with realization.

“You better only use them in emergencies Stark” she scolds the phone, her eyes narrowing. She can hear Tony sputter and scramble, probably falling of a chair from the sound of it.

“Who's side are you on?!” he whines. Darcy sticks her tongue out at the phone which Dracula pulls out of her hand.

Dracula still has his head leaning on her shoulder, not that they can see him, but Darcy finds it very distracting. Still she gasps in sudden surprise when his large hand closes around her throat and bends her head sideways with a firm but gentle tug. Her fingers grab at his in a feeble attempt to free herself and she can hear the shouts of her friends.

“Dracula, let her go” Steve voice filters through the rest of them, firm and commanding.

“Hello Captain” Dracula grins, he moves her to face him. “It is such a shame that a woman like her is toxic to the touch but you know, a single layer of clothes renders all that toxin useless” Dracula tells Steve. “Human's are so frail, one little flick of my wrist and her neck is broken” Dracula says nonchalant and Darcy's eyes widen.

“Dracula” the warning in Steve's voice is clear. Darcy had never heard Steve sounding so foreboding before.

“Hm Captain, I am surprised. All the trouble you and the Avengers have given me in the past and all I needed to do was kidnap one single woman to rile you all up” he sounds amused.

“Will you trade her?” Steve asks.

“I am willing to trade her for you and the Frost woman” Dracula confirms.

“Frost is in Shield custody, I cannot trade her off to you but I will trade myself. That is what you wanted to begin with, isn't it?” Steve asks.

“Frost doesn't matter if you keep your word and trade yourself, you will not try to fight me and you will come alone. I will not have the rest of the Avengers interfering” Dracula demands.

“Steve! Don't you dare trade yourself for me. I'd rather die” Darcy insists passionately. Dracula grins at her darkly. “Bite me” she hisses at him and his grin widens.

“With pleasure” he purrs at her.

“Don't you dare touch her” Steve calls through the phone. “I agree but only if you promise not to harm Darcy in any way. No harm shall come to her from you or any of your minions. You'll let her leave with Clint as soon as we meet” Steve demands.

“Agreed, you have my word as king of all vampires that no harm shall befall her while she is in my domain. I assume you know where to find me, don't let me wait too long … I might get hungry” Dracula taunts and crashes her phone in between his fingers.

Dracula's hand slips from around her throat and he steps back from her. She takes a few shaky breaths before turning her back to him and sitting down on the bear rug in front of the fire, she was damn cold and dizzy from lack of food and hunger.

Darcy saw no reason to converse with him, he had made his demands and no doubt would go to prepare a trap for the Avengers. She doubted he would attack her. From their brief interaction she had gathered that although he liked to intimidate and frighten his opponents he seemed to hold true to his words and he had barely touched her.

Yes he had grabbed her throat and bend her head sideward but he had barely used any strength at all, the whole exchange had felt like a play to get a rise out of the Avengers.

She didn't think he was some kind of big teddy bear like Thor but she had a feeling he was even more old fashioned than Steve regarding woman. Some kind of coat was suddenly draped over her shoulders and startled her out of her musings.

“Thank you” her genuine thanks seemed to surprise him

The woman was a mystery, a complete and utter mystery. From the very first moment when she had shoved the candy bowl into his hands he knew she was trouble and then she had pouted her full and crimson painted lips at the bowman.

Oh he could imagine those lips doing quite a few other things than pouting. Sadly she was safely tucked away inside the bowman's house so he turned his attention back to the reason he was here to begin with.

After trading a few barbs with the bowman, he ordered his vampires to tear down the house and watches pleased when they easily rip holes into the wooden cabin. Dracula wonders what the woman was doing here, he knew that the bowman and the doctor had fled here and the hydra goons had followed them, but he had no idea what the woman did here.

He almost chuckles when she sarcastically cheers when he tells them he'll let them leave alive if they hand over the doctor. They don't, which doesn't really surprise him. When the bowman blows up the cabin he is impressed, he had not expected the mortal to rather sacrifice himself and the two women than to loose. Finding the escape tunnel had made him furious.

While he was following their trail through the forest he silently communicated with his vampires who had rushed ahead, having found the doctor, when all of suddenly the woman emerged from a hidden spot in the trees. She didn't notice him, instead her gaze was focused on where he knew the bowman and the doctor where at.

“God damn it, I swear if I survive this night I'll have Tony build me a fucking anti-vampire flashlight and not move from the couch for days” he had chuckled when he heard her curse. Dracula saw her stiffen and she twirls around to look at him, her green eyes wide with fear.

“I assure you, you won't be able to ask Tony anything anymore” he teased her, she looked like she would faint any moment now. Her plentiful cursing was quite helpful thought, he had first assumed her to be the bowman's lover but when she spoke so casually of the Ironman, who prided himself on his fortune he assumed she was a concubine.

“Yeah, you know, blue just doesn't suit me and red eyes? No thanks, besides … I'm far too young for white hair” she told him while she backed away from him. He was just about to order Sorin to grab her and teleport her to his castle when she kicked her foot out, causing leaves to fly up, the wind blowing them directly into his face. He patted them away annoyed and growled when he saw her running.

She was no challenge to capture, already exhausted, her heart beating wildly and her breaths coming in short painful sounding gasps. He flies at her from behind, tackling her to the forest floor, her shrill scream of pain echoing through the woods.

The sound and feeling of her rips cracking underneath his hands makes him flinch back, he had forgotten how fragile humans were. He dealt mostly with super powered ones and those could take quite a beating and the others where primary food.

The smell of sweet and alluring blood immediately hits his nose and he twirls her around before he can stop himself.

Dracula takes another deep breath of the enticing smell and has to restrain himself. Something about her was off, he almost lost control of himself by the smell of her blood alone. Desire burned through him hot and fierce and he barely restrains himself from licking the blood of her lips.

Her green eyes fluttered open and for the briefest of moments he could smell her arousal. Just as quickly as it had appeared, it disappeared and pain filled her eyes. “Get off me you blood sucking leech” she rasps, her voice is weak, barely a whisper.

“Tell me where they are and I'll end your pain” he offers, already knowing she would refuse to answer, her gaze already begins to waver and he worries, he had injured her far more than he had intended.

There is an almost eternal smile on her lips when her eyes focus on his again.

“Bite me” she hisses and then she coughs up blood. Her entire small body wrecks painfully with her coughs, blood running down her chin and drawing his gaze again. He should enjoy the sight, the smell, the easy and delicious smelling meal but something claws at his heart and instead of feeding from her he cradles her small body to his.

After a few seconds her body relaxes, going almost limp underneath him and then electricity shots through the both of them. Her agony filled scream stops the moment he rips the cursed weapon from her hand and then she lies still underneath him.

The forest is silent and her heart beats once … twice, fluttering weakly like an injured bird. The smell of her blood calls to him in a way he never had encountered before.

With a growl he rips off his armored gloves and bites his own wrist. Slipping one hand behind her back he props her up against himself and forces his wrist to her mouth. A burning pain shoots through him and he can smell some kind of toxin on her skin.

Once he deems she had enough he pulls his wrist back, licking across the bite wound so it would seal. She is still lying limp in his arms but her heartbeat is strong and steady and her breaths soft and rhythmical.

He moves her long brown hair aside to expose her pale neck and is just about to bite her when the wind blows a single crimson leaf in his way, it presses against her neck directly above her veins, fluttering against her pale skin like a bat before it falls to the forest floor.

He is not fool enough to ignore such a direct warning of fate and reluctantly closes his mouth. She stirs in his arms and he moves his hand across her face.

“Sleep” he commands and with a soft sigh she falls into a deep sleep. Picking her up he moves them through the shadows easily before appearing in his bedroom. He lays her down on his bed and with a wave of his hand magic moves across her, her dirty clothing disappears and is replaced by a dress robe and any remaining blood or dirt is removed from her body.

Surprised that she takes so well to his magic he moves the covers over her and starts a fire in the fireplace. “Sorin” he calls loudly and a few moments later the male vampire appears.

“You called master” he asks, bowing deeply.

“I have a human guest, make sure no one is stupid enough to enter my rooms and touch her” he orders him. Sorin's eyes widen slightly but he quickly recovers.

“Of course master” he bows again.

Dracula thinks something is off about Sorin's reaction but he has no time to ponder it, he needed to get back and take care of the bowman and the doctor. With a last glance back at the sleeping woman he wove a protection spell around her and disappeared back into the shadows.

When he returns to the castle, having been outsmarted by the bowman, he is furious and hungry, the sun had done some damage which would need a good amount of blood to heal.

For the first time in a few centuries he dismissed his usual method of having blood pumped into him, instead he decided to take his hunger out on a few hydra spies in his dungeons. His thirst sated he moved to his bedroom. Sorin appeared immediately.

“Welcome back master, shall I prepare a meal or do you intend to feast upon your guest?” he asks.

“You are dismissed” Dracula tells him, narrowing his eyes slightly. Sorin meets his gaze for a brief moment, a slight smile on his face before he disappears.

After waking her up and making his demands known to the Avengers he did not expect her to simply dismiss him. It was the second time she simply turned her back to him and walked away. The first time she had been in the safety of the bowman's house but now she was in his castle and simply turned around to sit on the bear rug, facing the fire.

She shivered and folded the skirt of her dress across her lap so she could sit more comfortable and hold her hand closer to the flames, tucking her bare feet underneath the folds of her dress. He draped a fur trimmed cloak across her shoulders and she looked up startled.

“Thank you” she says genuinely and smiles at him, her face lightening up with happiness while she puts the coat on and buries her face in the soft fur. It is disturbing, humans did not smile at him, they screamed, they cursed and some exceptionally brave ones fought him but unless he enthralled them they did not smile at him, least of all genuinely.

“You are welcome. Your brief stay here shall not be an uncomfortable one. I assume you are in need of nourishment?” he questions. As if on cue her stomach rumbles loudly and she moves a hand across it in embarrassment. “One of my servants will fetch you human food” Dracula informs her.

“Thank you” she tells him again and then the corners of her mouth twitch with amusement before she turns to look at the fire again. He has no clue what she could possible find funny and it puzzles him, never before had he met such an irritating woman.

“Are you really going to just let me go with Clint if Cap trades himself for me?” she questions.

“If the Captain keeps true to his word I will but somehow I doubt your other friends will” he answers her, seeing no harm in including her curiosity.

Her soft huff tells him he is right. “Do you mind explaining why you want Cap? I thought you wanted revenge on Doctor Frost and Clint but you asked for Steve” there is a little frown on her face, he doesn't miss the way she avoids continuing their talk about the Avengers plan. She is craning her neck to look up at him and rubbing her hands for warmth.

Dracula didn't know if she was just absurdly curious or if she was trying to engage him into a conversation to gain information, somehow he thought it might be a mixture of both.

“The captain and me have history together” Dracula answers and sits down beside her on the bear rug, her surprised expression makes him grin at her.

“You plan to turn him into a vampire” she states and he nods lightly. “Your mind control must be very advanced, because Steve's not going to follow you out of his free will” she purses her lips.

“Hmm yes, but once he is one of mine he will have no choice if he wants to survive and I have centuries to make him compliant” he tells her with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders.

“Steve will fight you tooth and nail. Not that you are going to win” she tells him.

“Yes, I am sure they will cook up some plan but so have I” he answers.

“And then what? If you defeat them and made Steve into one of the bite brigade, what will you do then?” she questions.

“What do you think?” Dracula questions her, curious of what her answer would be. His counter question makes her pause and she ponders his question.

“To be honest? I don't know. World domination seems popular with villains nowadays but somehow I think that would be counter productive in your case. Can't slay off all the food, can you?” she says. “I assume you do drink human blood to survive?” her question is answered with a short nod. “So if you want to rule the world you would need a very careful thought out plan. On one hand you will need a lot of force to conquer the world, even if the normal police and army doesn't stand a chance against vampires there are a lot of super powered ones who can fight back. You also need to consider the fact that humans can fight at day and in the night while you and yours can only work during the night, which everyone will use against you unless you found a way to … oh … that's what you need Steve for” she realized.

“As you correctly guessed the Captains blood will allow me to walk in daylight again” Dracula tells her, she was quite clever, but he would have been surprised if she wasn't. The Avengers tended to surround themselves with extraordinaire people. There was a long pause of silence between them.

“Just out of curiosity … how do you know that? Obviously you don't have his blood yet, so how do you know that his will grant you … daywalking?” she asks and for a moment he is at a lose of words.

They stare at each other when Sorin appears beside them, she jumps a little and he is surprised that she ducks behind him. Sorin seems equally surprised by her reaction to his presence.

“I brought the food” he says awkwardly, glancing from him to the human woman and back.

“What did you do?! Attack a pizza delivery guy?” she asks, glancing out from behind him. Sorin looked at him for help. “... you did, didn't you?” she questions Sorin.

“You'd prefer Chinese instead?” his old servant asks her with a charming smile.

“Please tell me you didn't kill the poor guy for pizza” she asks taking the pizza carton from Sorin.

“Don't be absurd, he tasted perfectly fine, good vintage, southern aspect, a little earthy and some hints of grass … I might visit him again” Sorin tells her and she giggles in amusement. Dracula raises a brow at him in question but his servant only grins and shrugs.

After the woman is fed he stands up and offers her an arm. Their gaze meets again and he can see it in her eyes that she knows things are about to turn ugly soon.

“This is the part where you set your trap isn't it?” she asks softly and he nods. Her green eyes bore into his for a moment before a sad smile appears on her face and she takes his offered hand. “If you chain me to something I want shoes” she demands bossily and he chuckles, moving them through the shadows to set his trap for the Avengers.


	3. Vampires

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Darcy has **green** eyes in this story. It will be explained later on.

The quinjet shot across the dark night sky and finally moved across a mountain range, flying over the valley in which Dracula's castle was situated in. Slowing down their speed considerable, they circled the ominous looking castle before landing a short way outside the castle gates.

“Figures” Clint says, lowering his glasses slightly, to look outside.

The sky was dark, eternal night in the vampire realm, at least that was what Dracula had said the last time they had been here. Although he switched castles, not that this one was any less creepy than the one they had blown up.

“Okay guys, we all know that old Drac is not going to play by the rules, not after last time when we came for the Widow” Tony tells them across the com. “I've run a scan on the castle and it seems that he found a way to block my tech but I picked up a lot of underground rooms, it's like a real labyrinth down there and I'm sure it's crawling full with bed bugs” Tony warns them.

“Got that Tony. Keep us updated on anything your scan's pick up” Steve affirms. “Are you ready Clint?” Steve asks him.

Clint holds up his quiver full of wooden stakes. “Ready when you are Van Helsing” Clint grins at him but Steve can see him biting the inside of his cheek.

“We'll get her back, you know that, right?” Steve says putting an arm on Clint's shoulder.

“Cap … just don't” Clint pushes his hand away. “Let us get her back first” Clint says firmly and Steve nods, his face serious.

“Don't let him play with your mind. You know he will” Steve has switched to his Captain voice, a leader through and through and Clint knew he could trust him and the rest of the Avengers to get Darcy back, if anyone could … it was them, but that didn't make it easier for him, he was the one who lost her in the first place.

One moment she was there right beside him and Frost, and then he was distracted by the attacking vampires and when he turned around she was gone. He would never forget her bloodcurdling scream echoing through the woods.

When Darcy had picked up the phone he had been so relieved and at the same time terrified. They had known that Dracula was playing with them and somehow that only made it worse.

Darcy had looked pale and exhausted and most of all scared, the fact that Dracula didn't show up on the video fed was disturbing, they had visuals but at the same time they didn't and Darcy … Darcy had no super powers or combat training and when she had clawed at her own neck ... Steve had to hold him back from smashing the screen.

“Leave the lights on. I don't want any surprise guests when we come back” Clint tells Steve when they stop in front of the hangar door. Steve nods shortly and pushes the button to open the doors, both of them stepping out into the night.

Howling can be heard from the woods behind them and the drawbridge of the castle is slowly being let down, the heavy wooden bridge comes down with a loud thud. “Van Helsing” Clint mockingly bows and indicates for Steve to go first.

The moment Steve sets a foot on the bridge a dozen vampires appear, hissing and snarling at them.

“Are you always this popular?” Clint questions with a grin.

“Pretty much … Carl” a faint smile appears on Steve's face.

“I can't believe you saw that movie” Clint grins while they walk into the courtyard, the vampires let them pass, only hissing occasionally.

“That repeater crossbow would be kind of handy now” Steve grins a little while keeping an eye on the vampires, they disappeared and reappearing continually, making it hard to count their numbers.

“Cap” Clint says gesturing ahead to where Dracula stood waiting for them.

“I see her” Captain America answers, calculating the situation.

Darcy was lying on top of a stone grave, clearly unconscious. She was pale and shivering, one hand was hanging limply down the side of the stone grave. The cold and harsh wind blew her hair all around her and ruffled the skirt of the dress enough to reveal her pale bare feet.

Clint had to force himself to stay calm, keeping an eye on their surroundings while at the same time trying to gauge Darcy's condition. The shivering was a good sign, it meant that she was still alive and that she was cold, which wouldn't happen if she were a vampire but of course that meant he had to take her straight to the Quinjet and counter hypothermia. They had a med bed in the Quinjet and he knew it had heating pads installed.

“Welcome Captain. I see you kept true to your word” Dracula greets Steve before his gaze flickers to Clint. “Bowman” he drawls.

“Sup Toothboy?” Clint answers and Dracula snarls at him.

“I am here, like you asked. Release Darcy” Steve demands, his grip on his shield tightening.

“The bowman is free to take her as soon as you have surrendered yourself” Dracula tells him.

“And how do you suggest I surrender?” Steve asks, his eyes narrowing and Dracula holds out his hand for him to take.

“Capsicle, Legolas, heads up, that's not our Darcy. Scans are a little flunky but this is some kind of illusion set above a body and I bet that other body is a vampire” Tony's voice whispers in their ears.

Steve glances at the pale body lying on the grave and a wooden stake flies past him and impales into it. With a loud screech the image of Darcy vanishes and reveals a blue skinned vampiress who promptly bursts into dark flames. For a moment it looks like the vampires would attack them but they don't, instead they stay back and hiss angrily.

“Dracula, where is she” Steve demands, bringing his shield up to attack if necessary.

“My, my … such anger from you” Dracula chuckles amused. “Your precious human woman is fine but I had to make sure you would play by the rules this time … if you remember correctly the last time we made a similar deal your teammates attacked me” Dracula tells him.

“I remember. I also remember your vampires attacking my teammates first” Steve counters.

“They were not invited and perhaps it has failed your notice, but it was your bowman who attacked me first and now we find ourselves in the exact same situation. Your bowman attacked one of mine, while you still fail to hold up to your end of the bargain” Dracula tells him and Steve is reluctant to admit that he is right.

“So what will it be this time Captain?” Dracula asks. “Will you accept my terms? … Or shall I keep the woman?” Dracula questions. There is a tense silence between them.

“Show me Darcy first. I want to make sure she is alright” Steve tells him, throwing his shield onto the floor with such force that it splits the earth and remains stuck upright.

Dracula relaxes his stance slightly and takes two steps towards the stone grave.

“Unlike your assumptions I am not unnecessary cruel” Dracula says.

He grabs the top of the grave and pushes the heavy stone lid off, it crashes to the ground on the other side unceremonially. With a broad movement of his arm he gestures inside. “See for yourself. The woman is fine” he offers.

“You call burying her alive not unnecessary cruel? Man all those centuries really did a number on you brain you blue beef jerky” Clint calls.

Steve walked towards Dracula and the grave cautiously while Clint had his bow drawn. “Guys. I am picking up a human heat and life signature. That's her” Tony informs them sounding relieved. Steve steps up to the grave and looks inside, holding his breath and keeping an eye on Dracula.

Darcy is wrapped in a huge fur trimmed coat and soundly asleep. Her cheeks are rosy and she looks carefree, a small smile tugging on the corner of her lips while she dreams. Reaching down he pulls her up into his arms and she grumbles lightly in protest but doesn't wake when he cradles her to his chest.

“Clint” Steve calls, his eyes meeting Dracula's. “Take her to the Quinjet and leave” he commands.

Clint jogs to his side swiftly, taking Darcy from Steve's arms.

“Are you sure?” he asks Steve who nods at him. Clint lingers for only a moment longer before he turns and jogs towards the exit. “Guys I got Darcy. We got to get Steve out of there right now” he calls over the com line.

“Roger that” Tony answers promptly.

“Tony really? Can't we have one mission without that pun” Natasha groans.

Steve watches while Clint leaves. The vampires allow him to pass unbothered.

“I am surprised that you kept your word. I expected more resistance from your friends” Dracula says behind him and Steve turns back around to face him.

“I am surprised you let Clint leave. I expected you to attack him out of spite” Steve says keeping an eye on his surroundings.

“Enemies come and go. The bowman is a mortal and thus of little consequence to me. He will be an old withering fool in but a few years” Dracula says.

The Quinjet's engines start and it darts away into the night sky. Steve watches from inside the courtyard until it disappears behind the mountain range.

“Now that the woman is tucked away safely in your aircraft, will you call your friends out to play or do I have to roughen you up first?” Dracula questions. Thunder cracks across the sky and dark storm clouds twirl above them. “Ahhh, I was beginning to wonder how long it would take for them to attack” Dracula grins amused and jumps towards him.

“Guys, it's a trap” Steve shouts in warning.

Tony and Sam shot through the sky, diving down beneath the clouds just in time with Thor's thunder. They land in the courtyard shortly before Thor drops down from the sky, leaving a huge impact in the ground. A load roar and a heavy thud later, Hulk comes barreling through the castle wall, shortly followed by the Black Widow.

Steve is standing in the middle of the courtyard, facing Dracula, surrounded by leagues of vampire underlings. “Guys, it's a trap” his shout echoes from the walls and they watch with horror as Dracula attacks Steve. Steve tries to defend himself but shortly before Dracula reaches Steve, he turns into black mist which surrounds the Captain and both of them disappeared.

“No, Steve!” Tony shouts.

“Captain” Thor yells jumping forward but he only meets air when he lands where Steve had been standing just moments before.

“Jarvis, track him” Tony orders.

“I cannot pick up the Captain's signal anywhere Sir” Jarvis informs him.

“Tony” Natasha calls gesturing around. One by one the vampires were disappearing.

“Get out of here!” Tony orders urgently just when the floor beneath them starts rumbling.

The floor beneath Hulk gives out first and he falls with a loud and angry roar.

“Friend Hulk” Thor shouts, diving down into the ground.

“Thor wait” Tony calls after him.

“Tony” Natasha calls and Sam grabs her hand just in time to keep her from falling.

“That doesn't make sense, Dracula knows we can fly” Tony ponders just when a small peeping thing lands on his shoulder with a metallic thud. The EMP causes him and Falcon to crash, dragging the Widow along with them.

Clint sights in relief when he enters the Quinjet and lays Darcy down on the med bed. He hurries to close the hangar door and starts the jet engine. Taking off and setting the jet on autopilot he grabs some chocolate bars and hurries back to Darcy's side. The med bed is still scanning her, and he touches her hand lightly, relief rushing through him when he finds her skin warm and soft.

“Oh Darcy … I'm so glad you are alright … I don't know what I would have done if you had died because of me … I mean expect hunt that bastard down” Clint huffs and lays his head down on the bed beside her.

“You probably cost me twenty years of my life just from worrying over you. I going to go bald soon” he continues. “I brought chocolate you know, to bribe you to forgive me once you wake up … god why does this thing need so long for a simple scan?” Clint growls and lifts his head again.

“Dawww you are so cute I could puke. Dracula surely wasn't joking when he said you were a sap” the blond woman lying on the med bed tells him in Darcy's voice. Human yes, but definitely not Darcy.

She kicks him right into his throat before he can react and he falls backward wheezing for air. “Aww poor you, can't breath?” she laughs gleefully and her skin looks like scales that flip over and he is once again looking right at Darcy. The shapeshifter pouts at him teasingly before attacking him. Still wheezing for air Clint has a hard time defending himself.

“What's the matter pretty boy, can't hit your girlfriend? … Oh wait, that's right. I'm not” she cackles.

“Shut up” Clint gasps out in between painful wheezes for air.

“Oh no, someone's cranky. Let me guess. You're worried about your pretty little girl” she taunts and attacks him again.

Dear god she was annoying. Clint lured her towards the other side of the Quinjet carefully. As long as she kept talking and thought to have the upper hand he could still win, even though he barely managed to get air.

“Why are you doing this?” he asks, making his voice sound painful and hurt.

“Money, what else? He paid me a pretty sum to pretend to be this woman and let myself be saved by Captain America and Hawkeye” the shapeshifter says. “Hardly any work for that kind of money” the shapeshifter smiles pleased.

“You are aware that he tries to take over the world?! What do you think will happen to you once he succeeds?” Clint questions.

“Don't be absurd, just cause he got one superhero doesn't mean he's going to take over the world tomorrow” the shapeshifter says with a role of her eyes.

“Anyway, I'm supposed to taunt you a little … rub it in that he got your woman and captured Captain America. Lot's of evil blah blah blah. I am sure you heard more than enough speeches like that so I don't wanna waste both of our times” the shifter shrugs in Darcy's body and Clint looks at her in disbelieve, obviously she had no clue that she herself was holding an evil speech.

When the shapeshifter was distracted he grabbed one of Natasha's back up Widow bites from underneath a cot and fires it at the surprised shifter who falls to the floor with a scream.

“Jarvis” Clint shouts.

“Right away Mr. Barton” the A.I. replies, opening the hangar door. With a swift kick the shapeshifter is send flying, transforming into a hawk mid flight.

“What are you doing?” Darcy was sure her face was as red as a cherry.

The vampire had brought her into a large circular stone room, apparently a throne room, if the long red carpet and scary looking throne were any indication. A huge fireplace was lit behind the black twisted throne, giving it an even eerier appearance but at the moment she was quite distracted by the vampire king.

His red gaze flickered up to meet hers and he smirked at her showing off his fangs and she felt her cheeks grow hotter.

She was currently bound to one of the pillars in the room. Thick rope binding her wrists on the backside of the column, while another rope was bound around her waist, hindering her from moving away.

When Dracula had kneeled down before her and moved her skirts up she blushed furiously. He produced a pair of boots out of nowhere.

“You wanted shoes” he practically purrs at her and there is such a mischievous twinkle in his eyes that for a moment she isn't sure if Loki is pulling her leg.

How the fuck he managed to touch almost every inch of her foot while putting the boots on her was a mystery to her. She was sure she was as red as a tomato when he moved his hands up her calves in small and firm circles, she didn't even know that a foot could be this tense until he started massaging the muscles of her foot.

Dear god she could melt, both from embarrassment and from pleasure. She was so fucked. Darcy refused to look at him and almost sighed in relief when he finished putting on her boots and let her skirts fall back down across her feet.

She was almost sure that she would have moaned if he had continued his ministrations above her knees, her cheeks were still bright red.

“You just had boots in my size lying around hu?” she asks archly, to distract herself from her growing attraction. His hands were amazing, her blush intensified when her brain started suggesting what else he could do with those hands.

No, no, NO! She was not going to be the stupid chick that got seduced by Dracula and turned into a slutty and bloodthirsty bride. Darcy had seen too many horror movies and knew exactly that she would end up hating herself and slain by the Avengers if she would go down that path.

She wasn't an idiot and no matter how good that foot rub had been, it didn't change the fact that he was trying to kill her friends, not to mention he had send his gremlins after her not even a day before.

“They are vampire made, they will adjust to your size as long as the difference isn't too much” he tells her. He is standing again and leaning in quite near to her neck, she hates the way her heart beats faster when he does.

“Really? For what purpose do vampires need their clothes to adjust to different sizes? I thought you guys always remained the same?” Darcy questions.

“They adjust to our magic, like teleportation or to our wings” he answers obviously perplexed by her completely ignoring his seduction attempt.

“Wings? You mean to tell me you are hiding wings underneath your cape?” Darcy asks, her curiosity sparked, did he really hide a pair of bat wings underneath that cape, she giddily awaiting his respond.

He looked at her so dumbstruck that she had the feeling he usually got his way with woman and that made her feel very smug. Ever so slowly wings emerged from underneath his cape, large bat like wings, with a thin leathery membrane between the bones. They were magnificent and so long, there was no way they would fit underneath that cape. Darcy guessed that they could either retreat into his back or magically disappear.

“Oh, they are amazing. I wish I could fly” she admires, her fingers itch to touch them too and she is thankful for being bound to the pillar because if she weren't she might have touched them without thinking about it. The sudden thought of a small fuzzy blue bat flashed through her mind and she giggled.

“You could” he tells her with a purr, his gleaming red eyes meeting hers and she feels hot suddenly. She felt needy, clingy and pressed her feet together to ease some of the sudden need.

His lips are on hers in a blink of the eye and before she can comprehend the situation he has bitten her bottom lip, sucking tenderly. She tasted her own blood and moans softly against his lips. His tongue flickers across her bloody lips and into her mouth the moment she parts her lips for him. One of his hands had moved to the back of her head, entangling in her brown locks and holding her in place steadily while he licked and sucked blood from her lips again.

Suddenly she snapped out of whatever trance she was in and blinked rapidly, shaking her head to clear her thoughts. She pulled away as best as she could, trapped and bound like she was. She kicked his feet when he took her turning away from him as a sign to kiss down her throat.

His eyes bore into her angry ones, he seemed stunned that she resisted whatever spell he used.

“The prize to pay is far too high, so I'll pass” she breaths against his lips.

“If the soldier breaks his word you will be mine” Dracula tells her and she shudders when his tongue flickers across her bloody lips once more, sealing the wounds shut.

“Steve and the others are going to defeat you” Darcy tell him. He smiles at her knowingly.

“They will be defeated and once they are … I will make you scream for me and you are going to love it” he smirks and pushes a gag into her mouth.

An ice cold feeling rips through Steve when Dracula transports him somewhere. His feet meet with solid ground suddenly and he almost sways in surprise when gravity is back all of sudden. Twirling around he takes in the circular stone room, the large fire burning in a huge fireplace on one side, the empty throne which no doubt belonged to Dracula right in front of it and the familiar face of Darcy who looks at him wide eyed.

“Darcy?” he gasps surprised. Bound to one of the pillars holding up the ceiling was indeed someone who looked identical to Darcy and he grabbed his ear. “Clint, I'm pretty sure I got the real Darcy right in front of me” he calls through the com but only hears statics as an answer. “Darcy … doll, this is a trap isn't it?” he questions her and she nods vehemently, unable to answer due to the gag in her mouth.

Steve carefully inspects the room once more but is unable to find any kind of trap so he approaches Darcy very slowly. Her muffed scream is all the warning he gets when Dracula appears standing behind him.

“Captain … I am so pleased you joined me for this … undisturbed talk” Dracula tells him.

“What is the meaning of this! You promised to let Darcy go if I surrendered to you” Steve accuses him, pointing towards Darcy.

“And Dracula would have kept true to his word ... if you had kept yours… despite our arrangement you brought the Avengers and now you dare to accuse me of breaking my word” Dracula says.

“I confess going back on our deal wasn't the honorable thing to do but considering our fights in the recent past … can you really blame me?” Steve asks him.

“Your confession surprises me and it also honors you, never the less you have broken your word” Dracula says and attacks him. Steve throws his fist up out of reflex and hits him right in the face. The vampire king chuckles despite being hit and they throw punch after punch at each other.

“You amuse me Captain, fighting a vampire with your bare hands, that is foolish even for you” Dracula chuckles amused.

“I don't see you using any weapon” Steve tells him.

“The immortal Dracula doesn't need a weapon to defeat an unarmed mortal” Dracula hisses at him, red eyes glowing and his armored hand swipes at him, ripping his tactical suit and leaving long slashes in his upper arm.

Darcy can't even scream, not because of the gag in her mouth, but rather out of complete shock. The two of them had been beating the shit out of each other for the past fifteen minutes straight and then out of nowhere Dracula had Steve pinned and bit down on his neck without hesitation.

A strange sound left Steve's mouth, a mix of shock and pain and it was the ugliest thing she had ever seen or heard. Steve's face contorted into a painful grimace and then he seemed like frozen all of sudden. Minutes passed and finally Dracula pulled back from his neck.

The vampire took two steps away from Steve, who fell to his knees, one hand coming up to clutch his bloody neck. He seemed to struggle, his breathing was hard and sounded strained.

Darcy felt like all the blood in her veins had turned into ice, her whole body shivering when Steve opened his once cerulean blue eyes and she saw that they were blood red. With an inhuman snarl he opened his mouth, revealing long and sharp fangs. His skin took on a light blue hue and his ears seemed a little bit more pointed than before but still almost round compared to Dracula's. The worst part though … was that he was looking directly at her. 

Oh god, oh god and Odin's beard and Frigga's sewing kit … death by newly turned vampire Steve sounded like the worst possible way to die right now. Steve would never forgive himself and that was probably what Dracula was aiming for, she gulped, her eyes watery. She had really thought that Steve and the others would make it.

Darcy pressed herself against the stone pillar behind her, her heart beating faster than the boys could clear a fully stocked fridge, she felt faint, hot and cold at the same time. God damn it, she knew that those blasted six credits were going to be the end of her in the long run. She would miss coffee.

Steve was standing in front of her in a matter of seconds, one clawed hand cupping her face surprisingly gently. He leans down ever so slowly and she is sure she is going to faint any time now when his sharp claws rip through the ropes binding her to the pillar.

“Run as fast as you can” his voice is deeper and more like a growl and she sees his nostrils flare, he is clearly fighting with himself.

She doesn't even have time to think about the sudden turn of events, the moment he turns around and jumps at a clearly surprised Dracula with a mighty roar she dashes towards the only door, pulling off the rest of the ropes and the gag while running.

Behind her all she can hear is snarling, hissing, the crunch of breaking stones, angry roars as well as the flapping of wings. She doesn't dare to look back and rips the door open instead. Darcy wishes she had her taser, she would feel a lot more saver if she had.

The ominous corridor in front of her is lit by torches lining the wall and she hesitates briefly before running through it. There was no way she was going to get involved in a fight between Vampire Steve and Dracula, she thanked all the gods and goddess above and below that Steve had not bitten her.

“Miss Darcy” a familiar voice calls and out of nowhere, Sorin, the vampire who had brought her the pizza, appeared in front of her in a flutter of bats. His long white hair hung across his shoulder in a disheveled braid, part of his face was a red and bloody mess and his black armor had dents and long scratches in it. A long thin and very bloody sword hung on his hip and he stood in front of her unmoving, blocking her way.

“... Pizza Dude … you don't look so good” Darcy tells him with an awkward laugh.

“I appreciate your concern but my wounds will heal, if you'd please follow me” Sorin tells her with a sharp smile, gesturing towards a dark side corridor.

“Had a run in with my friend? Because I'd much rather go and see them instead of following the main vampire henchmen down a dark corridor” Darcy answers, glancing at one of the torches on the wall, wondering if she could reach it and use it as a weapon.

“Believe me, I'd much rather it were your friends I had a run in with. There are worse things than the Avengers” he tells her shortly.

“Of course there are. This day just keeps getting worse and worse” Darcy says when a snarling group of vampire gremlins charges around the corner of the corridor.

They are larger and uglier than the ones she had seen before, their leathery skin had a reddish hue, they had four fangs instead of two sprouting from their upper jaw and attacked Sorin like some kind of feral dogs. She doesn't wait to see what happens, instead she grabs a torch and runs down the dark corridor Sorin had pointed out.

When she hears a movement beside her but a few minutes later, she almost hits Sorin with the torch in her hands.

“Don't scare me like that” she hisses at him. “I almost hit you” she chides.

“I assure you I am quite capable of avoiding to be hit with a torch by a mortal” he retorts.

“What were those?” Darcy asks glancing behind them. She doesn't miss the fact that his armor is covered in new, dark slimy blood and he received a new set of wounds on his left arm which was missing armor.

“This way … they were vampires” Sorin tells her, leading her through a set of rooms. He moves to a bookshelf and opens a hidden passage behind it, a long thin staircase spirals down.

“Yeah … no kidding but … they didn't look like vampires” Darcy counters, moving past him, glancing down the dark staircase.

“We'll be faster if I carry you” he tells her suddenly, his long ears twitches and she is too afraid of what he might have heard to protest when he picks her up, the bookshelf swinging close behind them, while he races down the stairs.

“Question … Why don't you teleport us?” she whispers into the darkness, he had pushed the torch out of her fingers and trampled it out earlier. His red eyes are the only thing she can see shimmering in the utter darkness.

“The others could trace us far easier. It is better to bring some distance between us before I teleport us” he informs her, his voice does sound kind of strained. Still he continues to move them down the endless seeming stairs.

“Sorin … are … are you alright?” she questions when she hears him inhale sharply. He doesn't answer for the longest of times. “You're not thinking about snacking on me, are you?” she questions softly, the arms carrying her tense. “Because you know, your Italian pizza delivery guy would be so disappointed, I really thought you had something going on there” she teases nervously.

“I am more than capable of controlling myself … even around someone with such an alluring scent” he finally answers and she is relieved that he sounds amused.

“Thanks, it's chocolate cupcake one of my favorite perfumes” she answers wryly and they fall silence again. His movements are rhythmical and the never ceasing spiral of the staircase makes her dizzy, combined with the darkness which makes her drowsy Darcy closes her eyes and leans against him.

“Sorin?” she asks after a while.

“Yes?” he questions.

“Why are you helping me?” Darcy questions. Sorin takes his time in answering.

“I am simply following orders from the master to evacuate everyone” he answers her, his words spoken very carefully.

“You loopholed Dracula's orders to get me out of the castle?” Darcy frowns into the darkness. “I thought you were loyal to him?” she questions.

“I am” he answers.

“You are confusing” she tells him and he huffs with amusement.

“It is in your and in my masters best interest that they don't find you, believe me” Sorin tells her.

“The other vampires?” Darcy asks biting her lips in though.

“Yes, now hush, we are almost at the end” he tells her.

Sorin puts her down on her own feet and she has to steady herself against the cold stone for a whole minute before her dizziness fades. The vampire pushes against the stone wall on the end of the staircase, blood red symbols lightening up while he does. A dim light comes from the doorway, blinding her momentary while Sorin stepped through the doorway without hesitation, she followed him tentatively.

Clint ducks behind a tree when he sees one of the gravestones in front of him being pushed upwards and then slide to the side. He readies an arrow and waits and sure enough a blue face pops out of the secret passage that had just been revealed to him.

Clint pauses, the male vampire wasn't Dracula but obviously not one of the bite brigade. He had never seen another vampire looking almost human like expect Dracula.

The vampire climbed out of the underground passage and looked around carefully. He had long white hair which was braided messily. Like Dracula he wore dark black armor but his was missing some parts and had lots of scratches and dents in it. A long thin sword hung on his hip and despite the heavy armor he moved easily and elegantly.

Clint hid behind the tree, hoping the vampire wouldn't spot him. The vampire didn't and turned back around, reaching a hand down into the grave, obviously helping someone else up. Clint almost shot him but something made him pause. The vampire helped a familiar brown haired woman out of the grave.

“A graveyard? Pizza Dude, that is sooo cliche” she giggled softly. It was unmistakenly her. “What now?” she questions the vampire.

“I'll leave you now. I have to return to my master” the vampire tells her.

“Will you get in trouble?” Darcy asks the vampire concerned, touching his fingers lightly.

Clint listens carefully, thankful that his hearing aid is top notch or otherwise he surely would have missed the important switch of tones they spoke in. Darcy had apparently been set free by this vampire and typically for her she was worried for his safety, he wouldn't be surprised if she had managed to befriend the vampire.

“Most likely. Do not worry yourself over me. This is not the first time the master has been angry with me” the vampire tells her before turning to look in his direction. “Your bowman is hiding behind that tree, he'll bring you to safety … farewell lumină micăl” the vampire tells her before jumping down into the grave once more, the heavy stone moving back over the grave with an unseen force.

“Clint?” Darcy asks. “Clint!” she squeaks in happiness, when he steps out from behind the tree. She falls into his arms and starts sobbing instantly.


	4. Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Darcy has **green** eyes in this story. It will be explained later on.

Clint ushered her straight into the Quinjet, closing the doors behind them. “Darcy, have you seen the others?” he questions, gesturing for her to sit down on the medbed. She pulls off her coat and sits down obediently.

“Welcome Miss Lewis. I'll start to scan you for injuries, please lay down and hold still” Jarvis voice instructs.

“O... only Steve and he … got bitten” Darcy answers softly, laying down so the medbed could scan her.

“By Dracula? … God damn it” Clint curses when she nods. “Steve got turned. I saw it, red eyes, fangs and all that” Darcy says while Clint walks up and down in front of the medbed in a slow pattern.

“He attacked him though. I think he is somewhat in control of himself because he freed me and told me to run. He was struggling, I could tell … he almost bit me” Darcy tells him.

“Hawkeye, please tell me you are inside the Quinjet” Tony's voice suddenly filters through the com.

“Tony?! Thanks god, where are you?” Clint asks.

“Outside. Open the doors and start the engines, we got the bitey crew on our tails and they are like a uglier, hulked out version of the ones we know. Not funny at all, let me tell you” he shouts.

They manage to open the hangar doors and escape the attacking hordes of vampires but the mood is sullen when Clint informs them about what happened to him in the meantime. Darcy is laying on the medbed and despite everything she dozes off as soon as they are in the air.

“Hey short stack” Tony nudges her awake half an hour later and she screams, backing away, before realizing who is standing above her.

“Tony?” she mumbles tiredly.

“Sorry … that was stupid of me … You should drink something and eat. Your blood values suggest you should drink a lot and your blood sugar is a little on the low side” he informs her, handing her a bottle of water and a granola bar.

“Thanks Tony” she mumbles, sitting up with a sigh and immediately shivering, missing the lukewarm heating pads of the medbed already. She rubbed her eyes tiredly while drinking from the bottle and staring off into space.

“Darcy” he spoke softly drawing her attention. “Protocol Palpatine” he says seriously.

“Really Darkwing Duck? I know it was you who stole Natasha's vodka last month and I know how you pulled it off you ...” she couldn't finish because he pushed a hand over her mouth.

“Okay, now that we established you are the real deal … I'll pay you the best therapists out there okay? Payed sick leave and everything” Tony says. “Consider your student loans a thing of the past and I'll give you full access to the penthouse kitchen” Tony is batting his eyes at her.

“Tony … I am not going to sue you. I just … I nearly died. I am going to need a psychologist or something because I'm not sure I can ever shut my eyes again and not expect there to be vampires when I wake up” she almost whispers. “I'm sure you understand after everything that happened in Afghanistan” Darcy tells him.

“Yeah kiddo. I do. I do” he tells her patting her back. “Finish that and sleep some more. I'll try to be there when you wake up or one of the others at least. Would you like Thor to stay with you?” he questions.

“Yeah … that would be nice” she agrees, already dozing off again.

“Miss Lewis vitals indicate she is fast asleep” Jarvis tells Tony a few moments later and he stands up, walking towards the others who sit around a table on the other side of the Quinjet.

“How does my lightening sister fare friend Stark?” Thor asks immediately.

“Shaken. She will need to see healers of the mind point break” Tony tells him and sights, letting a tablet slip onto the table. He taped it a few times and it showed a hologram of vitals, blood values and DNA.

“And how is she physically?” Natasha asked.

“Her blood values are off the charts. I've never seen something like this before. I had Jarvis cross referenced it with everything and we found nothing. The toxin on her skin is gone, completely gone like it was never there to begin with and the scan's indicate that she won't be needing those glasses again. Her appendix has grown back and there is no scar which should be there. Her medical records say she's been operated at the age of fifteen … So I assumed a clone at first but her iris and fingerprints are the same. She is not a shapeshifter either because I scanned her extra carefully and she answered the safety question correctly …” Tony finishes with a huff.

“Which means Dracula did something to her” Natasha says glancing at the sleeping form on the medbed.

“And we have no clue what” Tony says.

“Or it is something else” Sam says and everyone turns to look at him. “I mean, have you checked her for the x gene? Maybe she has a weak mutation and it activated with all the stress and chaos?” Sam suggests and Tony blinks at him before quickly typing away on his tablet.

“You are right, she has the x gene and a vampire attack surely causes more than enough stress for a dormant lying gene to activate” Tony supplies. All of them breath in relief, none of them would ever admit it but the simple explanation for Darcy's strange blood values was a godsend. No one had wanted to lock her away in case she turned into a vampire.

“Thanks god” Clint huffs with relief slumping onto the table.

“I do not understand. Has my lightening sister been infected by that foul creature?” Thor questions.

“Nah big guy. Apparently Darcy has some kind of powers on her own which have been activated when the vampires attacked” Sam tries to explain.

“Verily, I have always known my sister was a worthy opponent. I shall guard her whilst she sleeps” Thor says and stands.

His heavy steps sound loudly in the silence of the Quinjet while everyone else sits and no one knows how to cope with the loose of Captain America. Thor approaches the Medbed and puts Mjölnir down on it, right beside Darcy's sleeping form and she immediately snuggles around it in her sleep.

“Rest well, knowing that Mjölnir and me will stand guard over you” Thor tells her and although his voice is booming she doesn't wake when he places a gentle and brotherly kiss on her forehead. Thor pushes a stool beside the Medbed and sits down on the reinforced tiny thing.

\--- Beginning Dream ---

_Darcy dreams and considering the recent events she is surprised at the serene feeling her dream evokes. She find herself in a forest, it is in the middle of the night but it isn't scary at all. Instead she finds herself admiring the stars twinkling through the lush foliage of the trees. The moon shines brightly and she sees enough to follow what appears to be a moss covered pathway. She sees deer and foxes, owls and bats, rabbits and wolves, boars and wildcats, bears and insects, more animals than she has ever seen in her entire life stroll past the path, seemingly unbothered by her._

_It seems like a good idea to follow the moss covered path, it makes her feel calm and at home. One of the wolves briefly brushes his snout to her hand, large scars running across his face and one of his ears was mangled. She strokes her fingers through his fur never the less and he pushes his body against her feet once before disappearing into the underbrush again._

_Soon enough she reaches the end of the path and pauses briefly at the edge of the glade. It was breathtaking beautiful. In the middle of the moss covered clearing, surrounded by little gleaming orbs, was a tree, so large and wide that Darcy couldn't spot the end of it. She didn't know how that was possible but it was a dream so she didn't think about it too much. The moon was entangled in the high silver branches of the tree and the blood red leaves swayed softly in the breeze._

_As soon as she stepped into the clearing she noticed that she began to glow lightly. A soft silvery shimmer like that of a star. She looked down at her arms curious but shrugged it off and walked farther into the clearing. There were two paths on either side of the tree, one was full of twinkling lights and one was rather dark with only a few twinkling orbs lightening the way._

_Darcy ignored both of them and instead approached the tree, she smiled in delight when she spotted a few branches low enough for her to reach and with little difficulty she moved up those first branches. Climbing higher and higher until she reached a nice height from where she could overlook the entire forest beneath her. It had been years since she climbed her last tree, she had always loved to at her granny's farm. Her granny had a real old oak on her farm and she had always climbed up into it thick and comforting branches whenever they visited._

_Her attention was drawn by a small swarm of bats, three to be precise, chasing each other around the tree playfully and swatting at the shimmering orbs. They dove high and low and dashed through the branches playfully before apparently mistaking her for part of the tree and landing on her arm. Their tiny feet clutching at the fabric of her sweater while they hung from her arm, their adorable large ears flickering while their wings wrapped around them._

_Some part of her was award that the bats were supposed to resemble Dracula, Sorin and Steve but she couldn't find it in herself to be afraid of them. They were adorable with their fuzziness and cute little noses, not to mention those beady eyes that looked at her adorably, she wanted to hug them to her chest and take them home. Instead she remained sitting in the tree, not noticing how the glowing seemed to settle into her skin, illuminating the tree and causing the branches to shimmer silvery and the leaves to look like rubies. _

\--- End Dream ---

Darcy blinks her eyes open sleepily when she feels herself being moved and for a moment she tenses before she recognizes Thor.

“Sleep my little lightening sister” he tells her in a soft tone and she drifts off again.

When she wakes the next time she finds herself in a comfortable bed, Thor's huge snoring form on one side and Jane on her other side. She giggles in relief and sneaks out of the bed to watch the sunrise in their living room with a steaming cup of coffee in her hands

The first shimmer of the sun rising above the mountain range in Transylvania made the mutated vampires burst into flames. Black and red gleaming ash was flying through the air and being twisted higher and higher by the wind. An eerie silence settled over the remaining three vampires, all sounds suddenly gone, only the howling of the wind remained. Steve put his shield onto his back and turned to the other two remaining vampires..

They stood almost frozen in place and watched in fascination while the sun rose above the mountains painting the sky in the softest hues of blue, red, oranges and pinks. Almost instantly it banished the cold and chill of the night. The sun painted the dark and twisted trees in deep green colors and the ground a muddy brown. The castle remained ominous looking but the stones looked so much brighter. If he noticed the vampire general shedding a tear he wisely stayed silent.

“Darcy, you are awake” Clint calls with a grin, slipping out of the air vents.

“Hey Clint. Yeah … couldn't sleep anymore” she answers. “Been checking the vents?” she questions.

“I was a little nervous about security after the last two days” Clint admits and she nods.

“I'm going to make pancakes in the penthouse kitchen, wanna join me?” Darcy asks him.

“With chocolate chips?” Clint asks and she grins at him.

“What do you think?” she teases. “Jarvis, please tell Janey and Thor that I went upstairs if they wake up. I don't want them to worry” she asks towards the ceiling.

“Of course Miss Lewis” Jarvis replies.

The moment she enters the kitchen and spots the shiny coffee machine she turns to Clint, raising a finger and pointing it straight at his face. “You! I almost forgot” she yells.

“What?” Clint asks backing up a little.

“You killed Igor!” she yells at him.

“Which of the vampires was Igor? Or was Igor the shapeshifter? Because I assure you that bastard is still alive” Clint defends.

“Igor was my brand new coffee machine you uncultured swine! You blew him up! He was so young … barely a hundredth and fifty cups old … you Sir are a coffee machine murderer!” she accuses and Clint practically sweat drops.

“Oh thanks god. I thought I really killed someone important” he sighs in relief and he knows it was the wrong thing to say when Darcy pulls out a wooden spoon from one of the drawers and narrows her eyes at him. “Darcy … eheh … my goddess of chocolate chip pancakes … ahhhhh” he yells playfully while running from her. Darcy chases him around the counter.

“I'm going to beat you up so hard the others will think it was a super villain” she screams.

“The murderous Spoon-Lady Igorina?” Clint quips up. “Mercy!” he cries laughingly while she keeps swatting at him but missing him by inches while he hung from one of the vents, part of his pants and belt had gotten stuck somehow.

“I'll get a stool to stand on and then we'll see who's laughing” Darcy threatens. Both of them hear a chuckle from the doorway and see Natasha standing there, looking very much amused.

“Nat … don't tell Fury” Clint pleads immediately.

“Yes Nat, don't tell Fury about the Clinton Pinata” Darcy says with a giggle poking at him with the wooden spoon, he squealed and wiggled out of her reach. Natasha calmly pulls out her phone and opens the camera app.

“This is so humiliating” Cling grumbles.

“Want to tell me about what happened while you cook?” Natasha asks her.

“Sure … better than being pushed into one of the interrogation rooms, by our local pirate, any day” Darcy agrees and moves away from Clint to grab ingredients and a mixing bowl. “What happened to the fridge? Eww, did no one clean this out while I was gone?” she complains. “My poor kitchen, don't worry. Mommy is back” she cooed at the appliances.

“No one made cookies either Darcy. We suffered. SUFFERED” Clint calls from somewhere in the vents.

Darcy shakes her head with a smile and starts adding the flour slowly, all the while retelling everything she remembered to Natasha, occasionally she would backtrack because things happened in a slightly different order and some things she left out. Natasha didn't say anything even if Darcy was sure she knew she left something out.

“I swear to god, I almost died of embarrassment when he put boots on me … which reminds me … I need to burn my vampire novels” she says honestly and Natasha smirks at her. Darcy blushes deeply and cuts some more chocolate.

“Thank you for being honest” Natasha tells her.

“Yeah … sure. I wont delusion myself. I'm going to need therapy and you need all the info you can get. I still can't quite grasp that I'm not blue, death and bitey” Darcy says, her hand flitting over her neck absently. “… have you found any lead on Steve's whereabouts yet?” she asks.

“No, nothing. Dracula could have taken him everywhere and it is suspiciously silent on the vampire front. We thought he would declare an open war on humans the moment he obtained Steve's blood” Natasha shakes her head.

“Because it lets him walk in sunlight? … Yeah that might have come up in conversation” Darcy tells her when she notices Natasha perk up in interest.

“Really? What did you talk about?” she questions and Darcy frowns in though.

“I asked him why he wanted Steve because I found it strange that he immediately lost interest in the Hydra doctor” she finally answers.

“What did he answer?” Clint voice comes from the vents.

“He confirmed that Steve's blood would allow them to walk in sunlight but didn't answer when I asked how he knew that. Damn it I should have pestered him more” Darcy curses.

“No, you did fine, you aren't trained for these kind of situations. It is impressive how calm you managed to stay but did you notice anything else interesting? Even if it seemed mundane it could help us” Natasha says.

“I wasn't calm. I was constantly freaked out. It was such an up and down on anxiety. I'm surprised I didn't have a cardiac infarction somewhere in between ... and there might be a few things ...” Darcy tells her.

\--- Beginning Dream ---

_Dracula silently walked through the strange castle he found himself in. It was dark outside and a blizzard was storming around the high towers of the castle. The hallways where high and thin, with equally high windows reaching from the floor to the ceiling._

_Curious he continued his stroll, finding neither humans nor vampires anywhere until he picked up a familiar alluring scent. He took a deep breath and went down the corridor to his left, following the scent until he reaches a small but high room._

_Looking around in the darkness his red eyes gleam but cannot make out the woman anywhere. He almost turns to leave again when he hears the slightest of sounds and turns his gaze to the in darkness shrouded ceiling. Pushing off the floor he easily lifts himself into the air._

_Hanging from the ceiling is a vampiress, her huge silvery wings wrapped around her protectively, efficiently hiding her form from him but the scent was unmistakably that of the woman. With a few flaps of his own wings he lands on the ceiling beside her and approaches her form. Upon closer inspection he saw that her wings had blood red tip. Reaching out almost hesitantly he gently pulls her wings apart and is pleased to find they move willingly under his gentle touch._

_The woman remains asleep, her features relaxed. Her lips are painted a bloody red and so is the low cut dress she is wearing. Dracula almost moves backwards when she leans forward, snuggling into his chest with a content sigh. Her wings fold on the small of her back while her hands move around him and she presses her head into his armor. He moves his own hands around her._

_“Uhh Thor, no armor in bed” she mumbles sleepily, blinking her green eyes open._

_He felt a surge of jealousy burn through him at her sleepily spoken words and his hold of her tightens. Her eyes widen and she gasps softly when she meets his angry gaze, she instantly struggles against his hold until he snarls at her threateningly. She stops moving but huffs angrily._

_“Does Thor often join you in bed wearing his armor” he questions._

_“More often than you” she replies cheekily, forming her red lips into a snarl._

_“Fair enough” he answers._

_“So, do you manhandle all woman or am I just special?” she questions him with an arched eyebrow._

_“I apologize. I assumed you would fall when you would wake” he tells her, stepping back and mockingly bowing._

_“Why would I fa … holy shit” she screeches, scrambling onto one of the wooden roof beams to their right. She has a tight hold on it and looks around more carefully before she lays her head sideways to look at his still upside down form. “So … uh … not that it's not nice to… hang out with you but … can you get me down there … safely?”she questions._

_“And why should I do that?” he asks amused._

_“Because despite all you are a gentleman and will help a damsel in distress” she answers, dramatically bringing one hand to her face and feigning to faint while she carefully balances on the roof beam._

_“You do realize you have wings, don't you?” he asks her and mentioned wings move slightly on her back._

_“I noticed. I am blaming you. Bad vampire, bad! Biting me without permission” she wiggles her finger at him and he smirks at her._

_He moves onto the roof beam with her, leaning down with a sharp fanged grin. “Are you insinuating that I could bite you with your permission?” he grins down at her and she looks at him stubbornly._

_“I'll hit you with a newspaper” she tells him and he laughs, offering her his hand._

_To Dracula's surprise she takes it with barely a moment of hesitation and he pulls her into the air with him._

_“Oh wow” she mumbles surprised when her wings instinctively start to flap to hold her up. “This is amazing” she marvels still grasping his hand. He moves them down slowly and she giggles._

_“What is so amusing you would laugh in Dracula's presence?” he asks her irritated._

_“I'm just imagine you teaching Steve to fly. He's wearing a black boy scout outfit and a helmet and you're throwing him and a bunch of tiny little vampires off a balcony shouting **fly my children, flyyyyy**” Darcy giggles._

_Dracula's lips twitch slightly but she must have seen it because she grins at him. Once their feet touch the ground she moves her hand out of his and curiously walks towards the doorway glancing outside._

_“Come on. It's not every day I get to explore a vampire castle” she calls, grabbing his hand once more and pulling him along. He is far to stunned to resist. “Why aren't you afraid?” he finds himself asking when she explores the castles greenhouse._

_“Because this is obviously a dream and for once you are not trying to kill me so … why should I?” she questions, looking back at him while hanging from the glass ceiling._

_“You dream of me attacking you?” he questions, he should be thrilled that one of his enemies associates was having nightmares of him but he can't feel the usual kick causing fear gives him._

_“Well yeah … of course. But the doc says that's normal and it should fade with time and look, here we are having a civil conversation in one of my dreams. Hooray” she does a little cheerful dance on the ceiling and pushes some wind chimes._

_“I had not thought our encounter would leave lasting damage, you have my apologize” he tells her and strangely enough he means it. Dracula normally only ever dealt with human once and then they were no more, he never had to think about what would happen if one where to escape._

_“Ah no worries Dream Dracula” she waves him off. “I've been cuddling with the guys, that keeps the nightmares at bay most of the times” she tells him._

_He doesn't know what to think about that revelation and before he can form a proper answer she speaks again._

_“Man I could get used to this. I could scare the ever living shit out of Clint” she laughs and flips in the air, landing softly on the ground of the greenhouse, her wings spread out to soften her fall. “Come on, I can see a guilty face when I see one. You can teach me how to fly as an apology” she grins at him mischievously. “Dracula is not feeling guilty” he insists._

_Teaching her to fly was a mistake, she had taken to his instructions like a duck to water and was currently soaring through the clouds in front of him with cheerful giggling. The only ones who where this cheerful around him where Sorin's children and those grew up so fast every time. It made him carve a family more than just acquiring a new bride._

_And … every time he had to touch her to show her how to move her wings it send a warm feeling through him, the muscles of her wings moving so willingly under his touch._

_“Catch up grandpa” she calls teasingly and laughs all the more when he snarls at her threateningly and looks at her affronted. ”Oh my god, just like Steve” she laughs suddenly. “I just realized … out of all Avengers to bite ... you just had to bit Steve” she is laughing almost hysterical by now. “He's almost as ancient as you and you made the same **I'm so disappointing in you young lady face**. I can see you guys wearing old man reading glasses and googling the newest slang words” she bursts out laughing._

_“You are the most irritating woman I have ever met” he growls flying towards her._

_“Old maaan” she singsongs and sticks her tongue out at him, she folds her wings to her body, letting herself plum down through the clouds. He roars and can hear her shrieking laugh from somewhere in the clouds._

_A determined expression crosses his features before he flies after her. It takes him surprisingly long to catch her, even being hit by a ball of snow before he tackles her onto the snow covered ground._

_She's giggling, snow swirling around them, her pale cheeks flushed red from excitement. He was kneeling above her, her wings spread out underneath her and her glorious rack was right in front of his face. His instincts screamed at him to make the vampiress submit to him after the successful chase and she looked so fuckable right now, he might as well take her as a bride, it had been a few centuries since his last. He leaned down to kiss her when she speaks up._

_“You really need to stop tackling me … when was the last time you played tag? Or do vampires play tag differently” she asks sounding amused and his eyes snapped to hers, seeing the mischievous twinkle and the way her eyes crinkled in amusement._

_That little minx was teasing him. She laughed and shrieked when he grabs her wrists and pushed his mouth against hers. He can smell her arousal in the crisp mountain air and moves one leg between hers, pushing them apart, his mouth traveling down her exposed throat and suddenly she is gone._

\--- End Dream ---

Darcy woke up very abruptly.

“Your heart rate went up” Natasha tells her, the distance sound of a heart monitor peeping rapidly in the background reaches Darcy's ears while the Black Widow leans over her, Darcy groans and blushes.

“You were sooo right. I totally am Mina in this scenario” she tells the Widow who smirks at her while Darcy throws her hands over her eyes in embarrassment.

“Very good, now tell me what you learned milaya” Natasha asks, slipping onto the bed with her.

“I might need a shower first” she mumbles but of course Natasha hears her.

“Take your time” the Widow smirks and Darcy squeaks when she is pushed off the bed and ushered into her bathroom.


	5. Blood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Biting and naughty things happen, so consider yourself warned!
> 
> Darcy has **green** eyes in this story. It will be explained later on.

Darcy nearly spit out her coffee when a very familiar blond man sat down in the booth across from her. It had been almost a year since they had fled Transylvania and despite Natasha's suspicion that Dracula would stalk her she hadn't had a strange dream since that first two times. It was early October and a sudden cold front had hit New York so hard that there were rumors that the ancient winter casket was involved.

Steve gave her a shit eating grin from across the table. His eyes were a twinkling baby blue, his teeth just the tiniest bit sharper than those of a human but a far cry from the long sharp fangs she had seen on him all those months ago.

He leaned back in the small booth casually, stretching out his long legs underneath the table, easily trapping her feet between his. She clutched her coffee cup, ready to throw the hot brew in his face at any given moment. Darcy gulped, she would need to see her therapist again.

“This is my first time out of the tower in months Steve. I'm not sure you've seen the news lately but we had some serious problems with Hydra. If you ruin this cup of coffee for me I am going to tase you in the balls so hard your teeth will fall out” she warns him and he holds up his hands in front of him in a pacifying manner.

Darcy drinks from her coffee to ease her nervousness. Why did things like this always happen to her, why did she not listen to her own concerns, why did she ignore the tingly feeling and go out and get a cup of coffee. Go out a little Darcy, grab a cup of coffee from you favorite coffee shop, it will be fun they said ... She would make Tony and Jane eat their words when … if she got back to the tower.

“I should have become a vet” she mumbles to herself and Steve laughs loudly, laying his head sideways and looking at her with a fond expression.

“A vet?” he questions, blue eyes twinkling with amusement, a single sharp teeth gleamed at the corner of his lips.

“I love animals … but with my luck I'd probably end up with a werewolf in my treatment room” she complains with a frustrated groan.

“I am not here to harm you Darcy” he tells her seriously.

“Yeah … you know what ... I kind of believe you… you look a little bit more in control of yourself than last time” she hates that she shudders lightly. Darcy wished she would have her shawl wrapped around her neck, it made her feel very uneasy that her neck was bare.

“So … where's tall, dark and bitey?” she questions, glancing around and Steve laughs, it sounds genuinely.

“I am so going to tell him you said that” he chuckles.

“Yes please. Give his Biteyness my best wishes” she answers sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

“I will” he grins impishly at her and she cant help the small smile appearing on her own face. “How … have you been Darcy?” Steve questions.

“You mean despite regular nightmares about death by vampires?” she snarks and he had the grace to look guilty. “They haven't stopped looking for you, you know” Darcy says softly, looking down into her cup of coffee. “Tony thinks he figured out a cure but without a current blood sample it is impossible to say if it will work” she tells him, looking at him hopefully.

Steve looks out of the window, watching the passing people. “There are bigger problems than me being a vampire” he finally tells her.

“Really? Because Dracula being able to walk in sunlight seems pretty much top notch terrifying” Darcy tells him and he sights.

“It isn't, it actually helped us a lot. Most of the traitors died instantly when Dracula removed the everlasting night over Transylvania” he tells her.

Darcy blinks at him and closes her eyes. “Oh god, don't tell me there are rivaling vampire clans or something? The strange mutated ones?” she questions.

“Yes” he nods promptly sending the passing waitress a flirtatious wink, she giggled and hurried along.

“Steve, you are talking like you are loyal to Dracula … you know that right?” Darcy states.

“Most of them are good people” he tells her quietly.

“You cannot be serious” she hisses at him.

“So you think all mutants should be killed just because of Magneto?” Steve questions.

“Well of course not … darn … I see your point” Darcy huffs, crossing her arms in front of her. “But no biting the waitress” she tells him sternly and he grins sheepishly, a blush on his cheeks and his teeth just too sharp for a human. Why the fuck she still found him adorable was beyond her, she would have to have a serious talk with her therapist.

“So, are you loyal to him?” she questions.

“They have children you know” Steve tells her.

“What?” Darcy asks confused.

“They have a strict policy about children. Every vampire couple is only allowed to have one child per century and there is a rule about turning people to stop overpopulation” Steve tells her. “And why is Dracula running around attacking people then?” Darcy questions.

“He only ever attacked me because he needed my blood to gain the ability to walk in daylight and he might have gotten carried away by revenge after that” Steve shrugs.

“I can't believe you are defending him. I mean I see your point but ...” Darcy gaps at him.

“I knew you would actually listen and not run screaming” Steve tells her.

“So … now that you made your point, what do you want from me?” she questions.

“The Hydra doctor Frost … we need to know where Shield took her” Steve tells her.

“Steve … there is no way I can tell you that … even if I knew” Darcy tells him tensing immediately.

“Darcy, please listen to me. The doctor, she is either involved with a vampire called Deacon Frost or she is in really serious danger. The experiment's she did drew the wrong kind of attention from the vampire nation. If you thought Dracula is bad as king you don't want to know what would happen if Frost became king” Steve tells her.

Both of them look up when they hear Ironman's thrusters. “You pushed your panic button and kept me talking” Steve says alarmed.

“I am sorry Steve” she says genuinely, he seemed truly upset.

“Damn it Darcy. I had hoped not to do this” Steve says and something in his gaze shifts. His eyes bleed red and he grabs her wrist lightening fast pulling her towards him across the table, the rest of her coffee splattering to the floor and people are shouting alarmed.

She grabs her taser but his form wavers and she is pulled into ice cold darkness.

When her feet touch solid ground again and Steve takes a step away from her she presses her finger on the trigger of her taser and he let's out an inhuman roar of pain from the high voltage and the silver cords. Wings burst out of his back and he grabs the cords with one hand while she scrambles in her bag for the gun Clint had insisted she take along. Darcy raises it, taking stance, her hands shake while she aims, for a moment she closes her eyes, blinking away the tears threatening to spill … there is no way she can shoot Steve.

Her hand moves the gun down slowly and Steve ribs the silver cords from his body, he looks at her with a strange expression, his red gaze snapping from her gun to her face. He opens his mouth to say something but it is lost to her when she is flung around and sharp teeth sink into her neck.

Dracula sees the Captain arrive with the woman and instantly her alluring scent fills his nostrils. Without a moment of hesitation she pulls the trigger on one of her weapons and the Captain is rendered useless by electricity shooting through him. It must be some voltage to cause him to roar so loudly.

Apparently the Captain's plan had failed, he had warned him that it would happen but the Captain had been stubborn. She had a second weapon in her hands and before she could shoot his new general he twirled her around, pushed his face into her neck and bit down hard. A startled and pained gasp escapes her lips before she is rendered immobile by his bite.

He drinks greedily, her blood hot and rich on his tongue. She tastes even more incredible than he imagined from her enticing smell and he eagerly gulps down the sweet essence of her life. Her blood tastes like the soft touch of moonlight, illuminating a dark forest with magic and live … and somehow like him.

Dracula pauses briefly, removing his teeth from her neck, his tongue darting out to lick across the wounds. His nostrils flared, it was unmistakenly his own scent he smelled in her blood.

“Please tell me you didn't kill her” the Captain sounds strained when he approaches him and Dracula snarls threateningly at him, spreading his wings out in warning while he cradles the woman to his chest in a protective manner.

Sorin takes a sniff of the air and seemed to have come to the same conclusion as himself, because he grabbed the Captains arm and tugged him backwards with wide eyes.

“We better leave Captain” Sorin tells him.

“What? No. I am not leaving her with him. What if he took too much blood? That didn't look like a brief bite to turn her” the Captain says trying once more to approach him.

“Please give her to me” he asks and Dracula is vaguely award that the Captain is only worried for his friend but his instincts would never allow him to relinquish her. Instead he sends a strong mental order at the Captain and Sorin.

The Captain obviously doesn't take it lightly, he snarls at him struggling for control and trying to disobey the direct order but Sorin tugs him away, shaking his head at him.

Dracula's attention is drawn to the woman in his arms, her skin is white as snow and she is shaking lightly. Her eyes snap open, the green bleeding away to crimson red.

“Leave, NOW!” Dracula snarls at them and Sorin teleports away instantly. The Captain takes a second longer, his expression unreadable.

She is still shaking, her whole body twisting and wrenching in pain so he quickly moves them to his bedroom. He brings his wrist to his mouth and rips open his own veins, offering her the bleeding appendage while he lays her down on the bed. She grabs onto it hungrily, moving her mouth across the wound and drinking. He feels her sharp fangs sinking into his wrist and it causes him such pleasure he moans unashamed.

It doesn't take her long to finish the transformation and she removes her mouth from his wrist, licking across the wound tenderly before she sits up facing him. She moves her arms across his armored chest and pulls herself up to kiss him eagerly.

He gladly returns the attention, moving his hands over her body while his tongue explores her mouth. She moans lightly against him and when he pulls away to nuzzle her neck, which she bares for him submissive.

Her sharp teeth nip at his chin in a loving gesture and then she is nuzzling his neck, her new fangs scrapping across his skin and he bites down on her inviting neck once more. He can smell her arousal and she moans softly before her own fangs sink into his neck and she drinks from him, greedily.

He had never before allowed a female to drink from him like this but he can't find it in himself to be bothered by it either. Hot pleasure shoots through him with every of her rhythmical sucks on his neck and his cock strains against his pants, demanding attention.

His own bite on her neck is light, still drawing blood, but not much, considering he had already had his share earlier and she was freshly turned he didn't want to take too much. He licks across the bite wounds on her pale neck tenderly, her blood tasting heavily on his tongue.

He nudged her to let go off him and with a whine of protest she does, fangs sliding out of his neck. Her sharp nails were clawing at his armor and she mewls in pleasure when he pushes his mouth onto hers demandingly, tasting his own blood on her lips.

His hands move to remove his cape and she eagerly helps him to open the buckles of his armor. He throws the expensive pieces onto the carpet carelessly and impatiently uses his magic to remove the rest of his armor from his body.

She squeals in delight when he jumps at her, pushing her down onto the bed, his sharp claws making quick work of her clothing, ripping it carelessly of her body, until she lays bare before him. His tongue darts over all of the scratches he had left in his impatience to get rid of her clothing.

~~~

“Master” she purred while he sucked on her throat.

Dracula removes his teeth from her throat, licking across the wounds pleased. “My bride” he growls into her neck, nipping at the pale flesh.

For a moment she is very still in his grasp before she tugs against his hold lightly. He moves his hips back, allowing his cock to slip out of her womanly folds. He bites her neck lightly once more before he turns her around and lays her onto the bed in front of him, moving over her and hungrily kissing her lips.

Her green eyes are wide, a blush instantly spreading across her whole body while their tongues battle for dominance. Small hands push against his chest almost hesitantly and he pulls his mouth from hers instantly, her eyes are still wide and though he can smell her arousal he can also smell her fear and panic.

“Hush my bride” he whispers into her ear, his voice more like a grumbling growl than words. “Dracula will not be angry at you for wishing to stop but should you consider to continue ... he is more than up to it” he tells her while pressing his rock hard member against her.

Darcy felt like it would be a good option if the earth had the graze to open up and swallow her. She was so fucked … in the most literal way. Dear god, her whole body was humming satisfied, the best fuck of her entire life and it just had to be a super villain.

She didn't know if she should panic, feel mortified or simply take him up to his offer, it's not like she could change what had happened. No … she decided … the sex had been fantastic but she wasn't some kind of whore, what had happened had happened but she sure as hell wasn't going to become his willing whore.

“Please get off me” she mumbles, averting her gaze from his, which was a mistake because her eyes traveled over his muscular chest and arms and down to his hips. Her face felt hot, he was damn good looking for an undead guy, and she bit the inside of her cheek while he moved off her with a smug smirk, clearly having noticed her gaze.

Darcy sat up as soon as he was off her and pulled one of the blankets over her body, clutching it to her chest. Her gaze was focused on the bed and she was quietly panicking so she nearly jumped out of her skin when his arms moved across her back and under her feet.

She squeaked in fright when he lifted her into his arms and carried her across the room. Darcy nearly cried in relief when he put her down in a bathroom. He leaned down and kissed her forehead affectionately.

“You will learn that Dracula is not a cruel master, least of all to one of his brides” he assures her, stroking a hand through her hair and she flinches away from his touch.

She keeps silent, not knowing how to answer him, fearing that she would insult him as soon as she opened her mouth and that he would take unkindly to it. No, she needed time to think everything through and to decide what to do. She was glad that she wasn't some mindless puppet but she had no clue how much power he had over her, because that was how this worked right?

There where so many possibilities she had to account for but right now she needed to concentrate on the current situation. She had been the one to kiss him first, her new vampire instincts screaming at her to submit to the strongest male, the master, she shuddered at the though. He had eagerly reciprocated and one thing lead to another but as soon as her senses returned he hadn't forced himself onto her, even though she knew he could have. She had been completely at his mercy and still was.

The bathroom had modern applications despite the rest of the castle looking medieval, there was a luxurious large bathtub and a fancy rain shower. No mirrors though.

“Please leave” she asks him feeling uncomfortable in his presence. He conjures a blood red dress robe for her, the same one she had already worn once.

“Take your time” he tells her moving a hand to stroke across her chin. “Once you are finished the Captain will show you how to feed” Dracula informs her before he turns and walks out of the bathroom. She feels sick instantly.


	6. Surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> found some typos o_o"  
I'm sure there are more, feel free to tell me or keep them if you find em
> 
> Darcy has **green** eyes in this story. It will be explained later on.

Darcy showers quickly, there are too many things on her mind and she fears that if she dwindles on them too long she wouldn't leave the shower for hours. The most important thing right now was, that although she had been turned into a vampire it seemed like she was still herself.

Which meant that either her powers had worked or brides where turned differently than common vampires. Maybe it was a mixture between the two of them.

Staring down at her pale hand she watched fascinated when her fingertips turned into sharp claws the moment she willed them too. That would prove to be quite useful. Moving them up towards her face they changed back into normal fingers and she wiggled them testingly before bringing them to her ears which where pointed.

Some part of her still could not believe that Natasha had been right, how she had managed to see this coming was beyond her. She shook her head.

Her fingers moved to the tiny part of skin where her tracker had been implanted and pressed down once, somehow that little nub of metal underneath her skin made her feel saver. Dracula had been strangely gentlemanly about the entire ordeal and appeared inclined not to harm her any further as long as she did not outright attack him. He actually seemed to care about her well being in a really strange and creepy way, she could use that later on.

Jarvis would by now have picked up her signal and alerted the Avengers to her position, all she needed to do now was gather the intel and press down trice in a row on the tiny tracker. They would hurry to retrieve her and hopefully Steve. 

Grabbing a towel she dried herself off and wrung out her hair as best as she could before slipping into the dress robe. There was no need to bother with searching for a hair dryer, it wasn't like a vampire could get a cold anyway, right?

Opening the bathroom door she wasn't too surprised to find Steve leaning casually against a desk, his head immediately shoot up and his eyes scanned over her carefully, a worried look on his face.

“Darcy ...” he began but she held up a hand.

“Shove it Steve … what the actual fuck?!” she couldn't keep the screech out of her voice and he flinched as if she hit him. “I'm like … this close to start slapping you like some uncultured street corner whore” she hisses at him, pressing her thumb and forefinger together for further illustration if he couldn't read expressions.

He doesn't answer, instead he looks so guilty she almost forgave him instantly, damn his adorable puppy eyes.

“Bringing you here was a mistake. I didn't mean for you to get turned. I honestly hadn't expected you to alarm the Avengers while you had me talking. I underestimated you … you've changed a lot Darcy” Steve tells her, looking her over.

“Getting kidnapped by vampires will do that to you. I've been vetted for months Steve. Not that they told me but I'm not stupid. Shield is suspicious as hell. Tony gave them shit for it and Natasha insisted on so many training sessions I can't believe there is anything of my glorious ass left. Sooo much running Steve! I'm lucky it is still squishy … who likes unsquishy asses on woman anyway?” she whines at him, grabbing her own ass and he blushes.

“Aww Stevie, you're still aDORKable despite being a vampire” Darcy gushes amused.

“I flirted with the waitress just fine” he says in defense, crossing his muscular arms in front of him with an adorable pout.

“If I remember correctly there was no talking involved … wait a moment ... where you really going to snack on her?” Darcy questions.

“Maybe …” he shrugs and Darcy winces a little. He seemed so himself that she had hope that they could still save him and then he went and said things like that. “Which reminds me … I am supposed to show you how to drink blood” Steve tells her.

“I suppose I'm not lucky enough that we can skip that and you'd just port me back to New York?” she asks him, batting her eyes.

“Sorry, can't do that” Steve tells her with a smile.

“Figures” Darcy huffs and looks around.

“Did he tell you anything about … well about vampires?” Steve asks her.

“We were not exactly talking Steve” she says and he's beat red once again.

“Right …” he clears his throat. “Well you need to feed three times a day at first ... so your body can get used to it's new abilities, in fact you should be hungry already” Steve says and she reluctantly nods.

Darcy doesn't know if she should feel glad or horrified that the blood tastes delicious. Steve had poured it out of a blood bag and into a glass for her and she drank from it. Since he made quite a fuss about how to extend and retreat fangs she made a point of not getting it right away, even though she could not understand why he might think it was difficult.

If anything good had come out from that cursed Halloween night it had been her dormant laying x-gene. A very useful little trick was up her sleeves now. Tony had lovingly dubbed her Mina Sue and she had shown him her appreciation of that name with her middle finger.

Apparently everyone liked her now. It was strange as fuck and she had only ever seen the dangerous potential in it when Loki had broken into the tower, disguised as Clint and the both of them had ended up playing pranks on the Avengers before his cover had been blown. Sometimes she received green glitter bombs via mail now and she found it strangely endearing.

Of course there was also the fact that she somehow had gained better senses, her eyesight had been perfect since that night. Tony had been very hush hush about it so Shield didn't get a whiff of it. Natasha, Sam and Tony where the only one that knew. Her blood readings where similar to both Steve and the vampires. Whatever Dracula had done to her while she was unconscious had changed her somehow.

Maybe that was the reason why she had already learned how to extend and retreat her fangs? She should better not mention her claws then or … the prickling feeling of her wings which wanted to burst free from her back. No, it was better she kept silent and played her part as damsel in distress or like Tony had dubbed her … Mina Sue.

“That one tastes like coffee” she tells Steve, licking her lips and she sees his eyes widen. Maybe she should have acted more disgusted? She was silently panicking that he had seen through her act when he spoke.

“Yeah … we have a system to get blood donations from people who recently ate or drank certain things” he informs her.

“And the donors stay alive?” she questions curios.

“Yes, the vampire court in Europe is far older than in America and has much more influence. I think every blood donation center in Europe is run by vampires” Steve tells her.

They had sat down by the table and Darcy had pulled her feet up, curling in the large seat comfortable.

“Are you telling me that European vampires don't hunt humans?” she questions him surprised, surely that wasn't the case was it? Or maybe it was and that was the reasons the vampires managed to stay hidden so well.

“Off course we still hunt humans. But it is quite convenient for children or freshly turned vampires who still have qualms about feeding from the source” Dracula's voice answers, startling her. He strolls into the room, cape pillowing behind him. Steve immediately stands up from his sitting position across from her.

“You can leave” he tells Steve who glances at her briefly, sending her a look that screamed **don't do anything stupid**. He had no idea.

“Dracula has brought his bride a present” he informs her. All of her good intentions to stay as calm as possible, so she might actually survive long enough for Natasha's plan to work, went out of the window at his words.

“Ohhh shove your present where the sun doesn't shine. What do you think I am? Some bitch that will roll over because you brought her a bone?” she is dangerously close to screaming at him. He has her pinned against the stone wall in a matter of seconds, her head slamming into it painfully.

“Be careful how you speak my bride. I will not hesitate to chastise you if needed” he growls at her. 

“I hate you” she hisses at him, baring her fangs.

“You'll submit to me my bride or face the consequences” he growls at her threateningly.

“Fuck you” she screeches at him, she wouldn't make this easy for him, he rips her head to the side, biting down hard. She screams when his fangs sink into her flesh painfully. Darcy hits and kicks him, he only bites down harder her attacks seemingly doing nothing to him.

Some part of her, presumable her new vampire instincts, told her to keep still and submit to the master but like hell she would. He rips at her neck and it hurts so much that she throws all caution into the wind and concentrates through the pain, turning her fingers into claws she aims at his neck which wasn't armored.

He must have been surprised at her claws because she landed quite a few good blows, blood splashing out of his neck, before he moved to grab her hands, his fangs momentary leaving her throat to snarl at her threateningly.

“Be still” he commands with a eerie undertone in his voice and Darcy finds herself unable to move all of sudden. She twitches lightly when he moves them to the bed, lying her down and moving to hover over her.

A growl escapes her lips when he leans down and brings his mouth to her neck once more, she expects him to bite her again and prepares herself for the pain but instead he licks the wounds, lapping at her skin, and she feels pleasure coursing through her.

Bringing one of her hands up he studies her claws carefully before he moves his mouth across her clawed fingers, sucking his own blood of them. She feels aroused at the hot sight and feeling. Darcy tries to move but still finds herself unable to even wiggle a toe. Dracula lays her hands down again, straddling her hips he grins down at her.

“Undress” he commands her and she struggles against herself. Her own hands betraying her and untying the dress robe and exposing her breasts to him. He grins sharply, a satisfied expression on his face before he leans down. With an inner scream she yanks her hands up to cover her chest.

His red gaze snaps to hers, surprise clear on his face. “You are so utterly defiant my beautiful and strong bride” he purrs at her, moving up again so his face is hovering over hers.

“Dracula could force you to do so many things” he whispers hotly into her ear, nipping at it teasingly. “He is pleased you turned out to be so powerful, but he must warn you … he will not hesitate to use brute force to make you bow to him” he tells her.

“I despite you” she hisses and he chuckles.

“Dracula want's you to submit to him my stubborn little bride” he tells her lowering his head to her throat once more and she growls at him.

“If you think threatening me with rape will get you what you want you are mistaken. I'll despite you even more” she hisses at him.

“Who said anything about rape my stubborn bride?” Dracula questions and pulls a single picture out thin air. Her eyes widen when she recognizes Laura and the baby, Nathan, sitting on the front porch of their farmhouse.

“What did you do?” she asks hoarsely, tears threatening to spill at the unspoken threat.

“The two larger brats like to play hide and seek in the woods and the baby sleeps on the porch sometimes” his voice is low.

“Oh god ...” she breaths and closes her eyes, tears threatening to spill. “Please, don't hurt them” she isn't ashamed to beg, if he hurt or killed the children ... Clint would be devastated and so would she.

“Dracula has not laid a single finger on them … yet” Dracula tells her.

“What do you want?” she questions softly.

“If you ask your master nicely he will grant you any wish as long as it is reasonable my stubborn little bride” he purrs smugly and she forces her pride down, her throat feeling tight.

“Please don't hurt them … master” she pleads and bares her throat.

“Very good my bride” he praises sounding utterly pleased, he nuzzles her neck thoroughly. She lays very still when he moves one hand down her body and sucks in a surprised breath when he pulls the dress robe close, covering her breasts once more.

“You will find that it is far easier if you please me my bride. I can be a very generous master” he tells her and places a small velvet parcel on her stomach before he moves off her.

For a moment she lays still on the bed, before she takes the parcel off her stomach and scrambles to sit up. Placing the parcel down she secures the dress robe once more. He is watching her and she knows he wants her to open his present, she hopes it's not a ripped of finger or something like that.

Hesitantly she opens it. “My IPod?!” she exclaims, pleasantly surprised. She would recognize it anywhere with the little glittering stars she and Jane had decorated it with. It had been years since Shield confiscated it and they had never given it back. He looks at her expectant. “Thank you … Master” she says softly, the words tasting bitter on her tongue.

“Dracula is pleased you like his gift” he tells her. “Now … I believe there are things to discuss” he continues. “Like I told you before … as my bride you only need to utter a wish and I'll see it done as long as it is within reasons” he informs her. “Since our union was without your consent I will allow you to refuse my attentions in our bedroom” Dracula tells her to her utter surprise and she notes the switch of his speech pattern from referring to himself as Dracula to I.

“And what do you want in return?” she questions softly and his smile sharpens.

“You will join me in my bedroom every night. Of course you are still free to refuse any activities … but you will not take another lover. You will call me master and act lovingly in front of any of my acquaintances” he demands.

“So … this is a business deal? I am supposed to play your happy trophy wife for the rest of eternity and get spoiled in return?” she questions.

“I knew you would understand, you are an educated woman after all” he drawls.

“Why are you doing this? You must know that I will refuse your advances … Master” she says carefully.

“I have acquaintances who know who you are. It will be the sweet little cherry on top of the cake when they realize I do not only have the Captain under my control but also one of the Avengers cherished women … besides … I can always seek my pleasure elsewhere” Dracula tells her shrugging his shoulders.

“So this is all a game to you? A show of power?” Darcy asks.

“Of course it is and besides I do enjoy having something to distract myself from the constant fighting against Frost and Hydra” he growls annoyed.

“You are fighting Hydra?” Darcy asks confused, her green eyes wide in surprise.

“Of course, those pesky mortals are constantly trying to abduct my subjects and use them for experiments like lab rats” he hisses angrily.

“Like doctor Frost” Darcy realizes.

“Yes. They are trying to recreate the super soldier serum and I cannot allow that” Dracula says his fist clenched in anger. Darcy almost freezes in shock, this was exactly the kind of information she needed, now she only needed to keep him talking.

“So it is true … there is vampire blood in the super soldier serum … is that the reason you can control Steve and why you could walk in daylight after biting him?” she questions.

“The reason I can control the Captain is because I changed him” Dracula tells her, the way he avoided her question is obvious but she doesn't react to it. So he wouldn't surrender the information easily … well she could always ask something else.

“And this Deacon Frost? The one that makes the mutated vampires? Is he trying to recreate the serum too?” she questions.

“Obviously” Dracula nods.

“Why didn't you explain? I would have helped you and Steve … and I am sure the others would too” she asks, if it was true what he had told her the Avengers would have helped to stop Hydra and the crazy vampire … yeah they wouldn't have been happy about aiding Dracula but this clearly was a **the enemy of my enemy** kind of situation.

“You would not have. I know how you mortal's despite me and mine … what do you think the Avengers will do once they realize that you are my bride and they cannot return you to your mortal state?” he questions her.

“What do you mean?” Darcy asks him with wide eyes.

“Do you really think their cure will work on you? My bride? Your vampire blood is strong, this cure of theirs will not turn you back. It will destroy the vampire in you and since there is nothing human left … it means you will perish” he says.

“How do you know about the cure?” she questions with growing horror.

“Your friends managed to cure the Widow once, but I merely intended to turn her into a minion ...besides … you yourself told the Captain about the cure” Dracula says and she bites her lips. 

“Don't act so shocked now my bride. The Captain is quite loyal to me, in fact he has been such a loyal subject that Dracula is playing with the thought of declaring him Prince of the American Vampire Nation. It would cause such an uproar and Dracula has grown so bored of the usual pesky plays of his court” he chuckles softly and Darcy is left speechless, still sitting on the bed.

He reminded her of Loki at that moment, who liked to watch the chaos of his pranks unfold. Yes, she could imagine the outrage an ancient court of vampire would feel when their king declared Captain America their prince after being turned for a single year.

Expect that if the king of vampires was bored he apparently liked to shock his entire court and randomly collect a bride, she had to force herself not to show anything on her face.

“Come and dress yourself. Dracula needs to introduce his newest bride to his most trustworthiest subjects” he tells her, offering her a hand to stand. Darcy bites her lips and takes the offered hand, her powers worked better if she touched people.

Dracula was quite pleased. She was a clever little thing and full of such fire, he would enjoy bending her to his will immensely. He had all the time in the world to seduce her after all, there was no need to rush anything. She had every quality he enjoyed in a woman, clever, cunning and strong willed, he had never had a bride who had managed to attack him, usually their transformation made them quite demure.

Yet her claws had ripped through him fiercely when he had tried to force her into submission, it had taken him by surprise. The simple threat to the bowman's children had her bending to his will and he almost found himself disappointed.

He held her hand when both of them descended the stairs to his court room. She was dressed in a red silk dress of his choosing, her hair done up in a loose bun, leaving her neck exposed for his attention. His bride looked beautiful and her barely contained anger simmering underneath the surface made her look all the more appealing to him. He wondered what it would take to make her defy him again.

The Captain waited for them at the bottom of the stairs and his eyes lingered on his bride for much longer than what was considered polite, traveling over her entire form and focusing on the rather fresh bite mark on her neck. He seemed to realize what he was doing rather suddenly and bowed respectfully, the tips of his ears turning red. Dracula grinned, ahh, how could he have missed this delightful little fact.

His hold on his bride tightens just a little, making her squirm uncomfortable and push against him lightly until he lightens his hold just a fraction. Kissing her knuckles in apology he is quite pleased at the small blush forming on her cheeks from his heated gaze. The Captain shifts his stance and Dracula doesn't miss the sudden hostile shift in his aura. Apparently his loyal subject still had qualms about him taking her as his bride.

Introducing her to his court went over so smoothly that he felt suspicious about it. Even one of his former brides, Selina, who had always been a jealous and power hungry female, was strangely polite to his new bride, he even thought he saw pity in the vampiress eyes. His new bride meanwhile spun her words carefully, charming his court much to his fascination. He was instantly mistrustful, searching their bond for an explanation but only found a warm and homely feeling, full of warm light.

About half an hour later they were in his throne room, alone, expect for the soldier who shadowed them the entire evening. He saw her green eyes go wide and practically felt her growing horror when the doors opened and Sorin and his men dragged a particular prisoner inside.

“Stay” he commands her, knowing she was about to bolt at any moment. His arm slings around her waist pulling her over the side of his throne and onto his lap, his teeth scrapping across her neck lightly, she is still in his hold.

He knows she can smell his blood by the way her nostrils flare and her eyes tinge red in the slightest manner. Dracula was quite impressed she managed to control herself, a newly turned vampire not attacking an injured human right away spoke volumes of their power.

“A gift for you my bride” he purrs at her when Sorin kicks the human to kneel in front of them, he spits blood at their feet and she stiffens in his hold.

“A gift?” she questions and he can hear the confusion and panic in her voice.

“Yes. He is quite a good specimen, he has Hydra serum in his blood, not quite as powerful as the Captain's but a excellent gift for my bride never the less” he tells her and her eyes widen with realization. “Dracula thought you would enjoy him, after all … he left you and the bowman to fend for yourself in the woods” he tells her and recognition crosses her face.

“Crossbones?” she asks softly her eyes wide, obviously she had never seen the human without his mask before. The human male's gaze flickered between him, the captain and his bride.

“Hello sweetheart” the human winks at his bride cheekily and Sorin hits him over the head rather harshly, he groans softly but still smirks cockily up at him.

“What am I supposed to do with him?” her voice is barley a whisper.

“You will bite him and change him into your slave” Dracula tells her and she trembles in fright.

“No” she whispers aghast.

“Come now my bride ... surely you have no qualms about biting a Hydra goon and turning him into your slave, he will be a good protector. Anyone working with Hydra has no qualms at all, he would slay any of your enemies with pleasure if you so much as snapped your fingers ... Have I chosen so unwisely? Is there someone you despite more than Hydra?” he questions.

“More than you?” she hisses back defiantly.

“Be careful my bride” he tells her darkly but her gaze stays firm.

“I will not bite him” she says firmly.

“Aww come now sweetheart I'd much rather it be you than any of those bastards” the human male says and Dracula can clearly smell his arousal. In an blink of an eye he is in front of the human and slams into him, sending him flying across the stone floor. His bride sits stunned on his throne when he turns to face her once more, his face a mask of anger.

“Captain” Dracula drawls. “Turn him” he orders and her eyes widen but he hold her back, forcing her to remain seated in his throne, when she tries to interfere.

“Why are you doing this?” she questions him.

“I could always force you to turn him” he tells her.

“Then why don't you?” she inquires heatedly and he simply kisses her forehead.

The Captain meanwhile dutifully changes the Hydra goon who instantly attacks as soon as he is turned. He spreads one of his wings out instantly, to shield her from the attacking fool. Throwing him back he jumps after him, attacking the newly turned one until he has him overpowered.

“Please … I accept your gift” she calls, worry clear in her voice. His bride was a bleeding heart and didn't want him to kill the man, not knowing that he wouldn't anyway, he still had too much information which he needed.

“Very well” Dracula allows but the moment he let's the male up he springs past him to attack his bride.

She screams in surprise and silver wings uncurl from her back, throwing the attacking vampire back. He stares at her surprised, her wings are beautiful, just like in that dream all those months ago. Large, slender and of a silvery color, the tips painted in blood red. Her aura unfolds around her and out of the corner of his eyes he saw Sorin bow to her and even the newly turned one seemed to realize he was in the presence of a queen, his attacks ceased immediately.

“My queen” he calls astonished and her wide green eyes snap to his.

“What?” she mumbles confused, looking at the bowing vampires.


	7. Garlic breath and witches

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that it took so long to update and that this chapter is so short.  
I had my muse leave me for another fic ...  
Sigh ... and christmas things took up a lot of my time
> 
> Darcy has **green** eyes in this story. It will be explained later on.

Darcy's gaze darts across the bowing vampires before her eyes land on Dracula's gleaming red ones. Every one of her instincts screamed at her to flee the situation but she forced herself to remain, the fear of what he would do to Clint's family if she fled was too strong for her to consider it and she was quite sure that she wouldn't get far anyway.

“Sorin” his voice seemed to echo around the room. “Dismiss the court for the next few days” he orders.

“Of course my king” Sorin answers immediately, he bows elegantly before he turns around and walks out of the door.

“Captain, take your new soldier and get the location of the Hydra Doctor. If he still has qualms about talking … remind him that Dracula doesn't have any about torturing him” Dracula tells Steve who has a forced calm expression on his face.

He frowns deeply before he bows stiffly and grabs a hold of Crossbones, disappearing in a cloud of dark mist that looked almost bat like. Darcy watches them leave with an uneasy feeling, she would have felt far calmer if Steve had stayed even if she had just watched him kill Crossbones. Her life was an utter disaster, her poor therapist. He took a step towards her and she stepped back unconsciously which made him pause.

“You still fear me” Dracula says and he sounds somewhat surprised.

“Of course I do. You just made Steve kill someone in front of me and then send him off to torture him for information” Darcy tells him.

“The captain is quite capable of controlling someone he turned and the Hydra goon is freshly turned and far weaker than the captain. He will spew all of his secrets in return for some blood” Dracula tells her.

He was trying to make her feel better about the situation she realized and had to bite the inside of her cheeks not to call him out on it. As if she could simply forget that he had killed her and forced her cooperation with the threat of harming Clint's family. Dracula seemed to take her silence as a sign that she believed him.

“Dracula is sure you are going to need more blood soon and he will gladly provide for you. Do you wish to retire to our chambers for feeding?” he questions her and she nods, she was indeed hungry again and thought it was a safe answer. He was obviously pleased by her answer and she was glad that the topic seemed to have changed to safer territory, if you could call it that.

But when he pulled her along through the shadows it felt longer and the direction was a different one, so she wasn't too surprised when they ended up in an unfamiliar room. It was a bedroom but it was larger and furnished exquisitely. The canopy bed was even larger and covered in red silk sheets as well as many very fluffy looking pillows.

The floor was covered in various beautifully carpets, the walls adorn with paintings and tapestries. Sunlight streamed inside from three huge windows and she walked closer almost hesitantly, her hand touching the windowsill while she looked outside. They where somewhere in the mountains, high up, because underneath her was an entire valley.

Pine trees covered the valley below and a large waterfall was to the right side of it, pouring down into it and creating a large stream that traveled into the valley. It looked like some kind of holiday promo.

“The sunlight is beautiful isn't it” his voice startles her a little and Darcy can see his gaze is fixed firmly on the valley below.

“Yes … for all it's worth I am glad that you can see it again” she tells him, because she was a romantic at heart and despite Jane's strange working hours, she had always appreciated her weekends. When she could stay in bed until it was already nice and sunny outside and then enjoy a lazy afternoon in a park or cooking in Tony's spacious penthouse kitchen.

A sharp bang of pain shot through her at the thought and immediately sobered her up, she patted away the hands that had sneaked around her waist and stepped back from him.

“You said something about blood” Darcy says, trying to lighten the situation. She didn't want him to touch her, despite the fact that touching allowed her powers to work faster, she could only hope they worked on him at all.

How Natasha managed to pull of undercover missions was a mystery to her, she was already going nuts. Dracula meanwhile grinned at her and offered her his wrist, she looked at it for a long while, longer than she'd liked to admit.

“No … I want a blood bag, preferable one that tastes like pizza and garlic” she huffs a little and crosses her arms in front of her chest. His gaze linger for a moment before he chuckles, one of his hands grabs her chin and he pushes a brief kiss onto her lips.

“As you wish” he tells her and is gone in a flutter of bats. She shivers a little and takes a closer look around, now that he is gone. She can't believe he actually left to get her a blood bag, either her powers worked better than she thought or he was crazy. Darcy tended to think it was the later one.

Something had happened, he had called her his queen instead of his bride and she didn't know what it meant exactly but she knew it was important. As stupid as it sounded in her own head but she had been promoted. The way they had reacted to her wings was strange and then he had brought her here instead of the other castle. Darcy wished for a guidebook. “Vampire 101” or “Got bitten. How to cope” would be great right now.

Much to her surprise the door was unlocked when she tried it and it swung open easily. Her mouth formed an exited O and she felt a little giddy.

“Exploring time!” she giggled to herself and then pauses. She rummages through the room until she finds something to write and leaves a massage. “Left to do some exploring” she writes it carefully.

She is tempted to make a funny note but doesn't dare to.

“And so our daring heroine left the bedroom to explore the ominous vampire castle” she says to herself, quirking a smile while she looks outside.

The hallway was empty and dark and she couldn't pick up any sound or smell which suggested that she was alone. It wasn't dusty, someone was obviously tending to everything but every room she entered had covers thrown over the furniture or was mostly empty.

She was pleasantly surprised when she found a huge greenhouse which was very well tended. Moving through it she realized that only the front of the greenhouse was for flowers and fancy plants. The rest seemed to be filled with herbs and vegetables and a lot of plants she didn't recognize.

“Hello?” a female voice startles her and she twirls around.

A woman is kneeling by one of the herb bed, a small knife in her hand and a basket filled with various herbs. Shifting her attention towards the woman she can suddenly hear her soft and steady heartbeat and smell her forest like scent. Her skin is sun kissed and her green eyes look at her curiously, long dark hair is braided and she is dressed in a comfy jeans and a light green blouse.

“Hello” Darcy offers a small smile and a wave and the woman smiles at her brighter.

“Oh, you're a new turnblood” she dusts her hands off and stands up. Walking closer the woman offers her hand. “It's so nice to meet you. I'm Katharina” the woman introduces herself and they shake hands briefly.

“I'm Darcy … excuse my rudeness but what are you doing here? You're human right?” Darcy asks her.

The woman doesn't let go of her arm, instead she turns it over, fingers moving across the palm of her hand.

“Interesting” she says and tsks a little. “I'm tending the herb garden and picking up some ingredients. I didn't know someone was here, sorry if I interrupted something” Katharina says.

“You didn't. Dracula left to get some blood. I was exploring” Darcy tells her, she doesn't know what to do with the woman.

“You are awfully nervous and not rude at all, I expected you to lung at me the moment you noticed me, how freshly are you turned?” Katharina asks her.

“Not even a day” she tells her and the human woman hums.

“Strange that he would leave your side after such a short amount of time” Katharina hums a little.

“He left to get me some blood bags” Darcy clarifies.

“You've been turned against your will hm?” she asks her and Darcy nods before realizing what she just admitted to the strange woman.

“Fate is strange isn't it?” the woman asks her with an amused chuckle.

“Katharina” his voice is a threatening growl when he appears in a flutter of bat wings.

“Dracula” she answers simply, a mischievous smile on her lips while she winks at Darcy. Darcy steps away from the woman, suddenly feeling as if a wave of power surged out of the woman in front of her.

“Congratulations, only you could turn a woman against her will and end up with a queen” she cackles a little, leaves sprouting out of her braided hair which looked vine like all of sudden. Her skin reminded of tree bark but she still was very beautiful to look at. The plants around her seemed to grow and glow with health.

“Very amusing … how is Kaulder doing?” Dracula smirks at the woman and she hisses at him, green eyes shifting yellow.

“Enough chit chat. When are you reopening court? I will send you proper gifts” she offers.

“Dracula hasn't decided yet” he answers her and the woman's smirk widens.

“Good luck then” she tells Dracula before turning towards her. “Don't make it easy for him” the woman tells her before roots shoot out of the earth, wrap around the woman and disappear into the earth with her.

“What the fuck?” Darcy gasps, taking a few steps back.

“Ignore Katharina” he advises her sounding vexed.

“What is she?” she finds herself asking.

“A witch, an utterly annoying one too” he comments.

“Any family relations?” Darcy questions after a short moment, because these two seemed a bit like siblings with how they had taunted and teased each other.

“We had an arranged marriage some centuries ago, at least until Dracula killed her mother which made her the witch queen. We ended the unfortunate agreement and decided on a peace accord between our two species” he tells her sounding a bit uncomfortable.

“Ah, you are friends then” Darcy nods in understanding and has to suppress her grin when she sees his eye twitch in annoyance. As quick as her teasing mood had come it went away, she had to remind herself that this wasn't Tony or Clint she was teasing, if she angered him he could very well take it out on an innocent.

“Dracula has brought you the blood you asked for” he tells her and there is something in the tone he says it in, something she can't place. He ports them back into the bedroom and she immediately takes one of the bags, sharp fangs ripping into it. The blood is still a little warm and she has to push down the threat that creeps into her heart when she thinks about what that meant, it had to be fresh, like, really, really fresh.

“Does my queen have any wishes?” he questions her once she is finished and her gaze snaps to him once more.

“Can you please be more precise? I don't think I understand what you want to hear from me” she tells him, very careful not to blow up in his face that her freedom would be nice, or that he could go and stake himself.

“Maybe my queen would like a few servants or jewelry?” he suggests.

“What would I do with those?” Darcy asks.

“Whatever you want” he shrugs a little.

“Then I have no wish at the moment” she tells him.

“Very well, the castle will be your home from now on, you are free to roam it but not to leave it. I have put spells in place that will keep everyone out, even Katherina, so you needed worry about your safety” he tells her.

Darcy doesn't comment that she's not in danger from anyone but him and she has no doubt that the spells worked in both ways, to keep others out and her in. Not knowing what to do she takes another blood bag and sinks her fangs into it, she was very hungry and they did taste like garlic. Delicious. She hoped she got garlic breath from it. She giggled into the blood bag.


	8. Learn to knock

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... an update, finally!  
Things kept me occupied and I'm finally getting into the mood and feels of this story again.  
It is rather short but I couldn't help but post it
> 
> Darcy has **green** eyes in this story. It will be explained later on.

Life in the desolated castle wasn't as bad as she first assumed. Blood bags were provided three times a day and if she desired more she just needed to ask Sorin who appeared every now and then to inquire if she had any wishes. He even had the decency to look guilty when she asked for her freedom.

Dracula hardly ever showed up, she had only seen him once since he had brought her here, which had been a week ago. It felt like an eternity though, she wondered what he was playing at and if she should wait until he showed up again, hopefully gaining the information her friends needed or if she should just let herself be extracted and hope for the best.

In that week she had thoroughly explored the castle and the castle grounds, even discovered a few hidden passages. Her favorite one was a winding staircase behind a heavy wooden bookshelf, it lead up into the hallway in front of her room and she used it regularly.

So when she woke up with her nose buried in a broad muscular chest and a heavy arm draped across her waist her first instinct was to cuddle deeper into the comfortable embrace. At least until her brain caught up with her instincts and she realized that that definitely wasn't Thor and she wasn't back at the Tower getting a cuddling session of her lightening brother. She jerked away violently and the only thing keeping her from falling off the bed was the instantly tight and hard grip he had on her.

“Relax my queen” he hummed lowly, pulling her closer towards his body once more. A deep rumbling sound came from him and she felt herself relax involuntary, her still sleep fuddled brain unable to fight her rather strong instinct that she was safe at the moment.

His tongue darted out to lick across her throat and she gasped lightly when his fangs nipped at her softly, not even breaking the skin just lightly grazing her. Her hands move to push against his chest despite the pleasurable feeling his ministrations cause her. “What … what are you doing?” she manages to squeak, surprised at his action and even more surprised that she seemed to enjoy it. He inhales and exhales loudly, it almost sounded like a sigh, before he moved his head back to stare at her, red eyes gleaming.

They stare at each other and she doesn't dare to look away in fear that he would take it as an invitation to nib at her neck once more. His breathing in even underneath her fingertips, that still lie on his bare chest and she pulls her hands away as if burned. Pushing her hands down on the bed she shifts away from him, sitting up against the headboard and pulling her feet towards her. His red gleaming gaze follows her and she can see his nostrils flare when he takes a deep breath.

“You are wearing my clothes” he finally breaks the silence, his voice deep and rumbling, sounding pleased. His gaze sweeps over her form and she feels herself blush under his appreciating gaze, because she was wearing his cloth, she had taken a long dark tunic from the closet to sleep in.

“Yes” she nods slowly, unsure how she should react. “Is that … a problem?” Darcy inquires softly, biting her bottom lip and chewing on it nervously. That couldn't be the reason he finally decided to graze her with his presents again, could it?

“No” he practically purrs at her. “Dracula is very pleased by your display of loyalty” he informs her and moves closer once more, grabbing her hand, he moves to kiss her fingertips.

“My display ...” she began confused until it clicked in her mind. “I'm not, this is just a tunic. Please don't read anything into this, I have no idea about your vampire culture whatsoever” she huffs a little but tries to stay polite, pulling her fingers from his lips and tugging on said tunic. Maybe she should have worn those uncomfortable old fashioned sleep clothes, but after getting her feet tangled a few times and her hair caught in those damned buttons she had decided to simply raid the male section of the wardrobe.

“Surely my choice of sleepwear is not what has brought you here” she finally says, it was unnerving to sit in bed with the vampire king and she wanted to know what he wanted, so her mind could settle on that instead of his very fine abs. God damn it, she lived with super hero's, shouldn't she be immune to nice abs … well apparently not. He smirks at her and god damn it did his fangs have to glint like that?! She looks down at her own lap, fumbling to pull the tunic farther down her legs.

“My queen is right of course” he rumbles, still smirking. “Her sleepwear was a pleasant surprise” he hums and she feels blood rushing to her cheeks, gazing up at him, to find his burning red eyes fixated on her. “The Cabal is approaching my castle” Dracula tells her. “Dracula assumed you would like a warning” he hums a little and grabs her foot, easily pulling her towards him.

“The Cabal” she asks him wide eyed while he moves his arms around her. “I thought you guys disbanded after the disaster with the Skull” she questions him, her mind razing, she ignored the fact that he pulled her flush against him. “And why are you feeling cuddly all of sudden? Have you forgotten that you promised not to touch me?” she asks him, hissing a little.

“Hyperion usually doesn't knock” he hums against her throat and nibs at it, she growls and he chuckles. “Remember our bargain my queen” he hums and she pauses, knowing instantly what he was talking about.

“Just how close are they?” she questions, pulling her arms around his neck, her eyes searching his.

“Close enough to be here any moment” he tells her with a cocky smirk, his head tipping down to capture her lips with his. She slips her fingers into his long hair and allows him to lay her down on the bed.

“If this is some kind of scheme of yours … I'll bite you” she tells him in between the kisses he plants on her lips and she can feel him smirking against the side of her face, his mouth working a way down her throat.

“I feel like that is the goal” he jokes lightly and despite the turmoil of her feelings she giggles, wrapping her legs around his hips.

“You wish to give them a show?” she questions him and he hums in affirmation. “Then bite me” she demands with little decorum, pulling his head into the nap of her neck. She felt him pause, mouth against her skin he pulled back and she met his gaze only briefly before turning her head sideways, before she could loose her nerve, her eyes fluttering close. She'd much rather have him bite her again than have him keeping up his ministrations, because she feared she would enjoy it otherwise.

He shifted above her and she felt his rough fingers moving her hair away from her neck in a tender move, his fingers barely ghosting over her skin, before he moved the tunic over her shoulder and planted kisses on her neck. He suckled on her skin before his fangs slid into her flesh and her eyes fluttered open again, a small gasp escaped her lips and her whole body burned with pleasure. Her fingers clenched into his hair and she couldn't help the breathy moan when he started sucking.

Darcy had expected pain and was completely unprepared for the pleasurable sensations coursing through her veins, in fact she was almost disappointed when the window shattered loudly. The heavy velvet curtains ripping in the process and the red clad form of the super villain known as Hyperion is staring at them with an expression of shock on his face. 

Dracula's fangs slid out of her and she laid in his arms like jelly. “Hyperion” Dracula hisses at the other villain. “Out!” he snarls so threateningly that the other villain's face changes to sheepish rather fast and he backs out of the window with his hands raised in a pacifying manner.

“Sorry” they hear him shout while he zips away.

Darcy pulls her hands over her mouth and can't stop the small laugh that escapes her. “How to teach your super villain” she giggles a little and she is pretty sure she didn't imagine the small quirking of Dracula's mouth but when he leans in once more her hand flies up to cover her neck. Their gaze meets once more and she is proud of herself for staring back at him unafraid. “He's gone” she reminds him.

Dracula nods at her briefly before looking towards the shattered window, his arms wind around her and he moves them somewhere. She recognizes the bedroom immediately and sits very still when he puts her down on the bed, kissing her forehead briefly. “Dracula will be back soon” he rumbles at her. “Try to get some more sleep my queen” he is kissing her fingers again and before she can reply he is gone in a flutter of bats.

Her gaze immediately falls to the desk on which various papers are scattered. She glances around briefly before dashing to it, picking through the papers with wide eyes. “Oh my god” she whispers to herself when she reads through one of them. Her eyes meet with Steve's who appeared out of nowhere, holding what appeared to be a tablet, his blue eyes wide in surprise when he spotted her with the papers in her hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so ... what do you guys think?  
Write me comments, I love comments and they help me figure out what you guys want to read


	9. The papers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's in the papers you ask? Here's your answer
> 
> Darcy has **green** eyes in this story. It will be explained later on.

“Darcy” Steve sounds as surprises as she feels at his appearance. “You shouldn't be here” he says and his gaze flickers to the papers in her hands. “And you shouldn't have read those” he sounds like he is scolding her.

“I don't think you can tell me what to do and what not to do” her eyes flashes red. “Or do I need to remind you that I outrank you” she asks him. Her heart clenches painfully at her own words and Steve's gaze turns dark too.

“Darcy” he sounds pained. “Please don't get involved in this” he pleads her. “I can't ...” he shakes his head and trails off.

“Involved in this?” she gasps at him. “Involved?!” she asks louder, outraged. “Who abducted me and dropped me into Dracula's lap?” she screeches at him. “I'm so involved in this mess I don't even know where to begin” Darcy hisses angrily, fangs showing. “Did you know that he has some of his goons watching Clint's farmhouse!” she yells at him and Steve's eyes widen.

“I didn't” he almost whispers.

“Well he does and he is threatening me with their lives” she informs him with an angry huff, she crosses her arms in front of her chest and blinks away some tears. “So don't you dare to tell me not to get involved” Darcy tells him, her voice soft once more.

“I didn't mean it like that” Steve tells her. “I'm sure you understand now why I couldn't return to the Tower. Why I had to keep an eye on the situation” he tells her and she slams the papers down on the desk.

“Are … are they legit?” she asks him her hand trembling.

“I'm sorry” Steve tells her.

“Tony … how?” she feels the tears trailing down her cheeks and Steve is at her side in a matter of seconds, his muscular arms moving around her to hug her while she sobs into his chest.

“Deacon Frost can create clones off himself and everyone he bites” Steve tells her. “He must have gotten his claws on Tony … at some point” Steve sounded strained. “It is the only explanation” he tells her. “Otherwise we would have picked up on Frost's location by now … but with Jarvis covering his tracks … we're not sure how far we can trust Shield either” Steve tells her.

“This is Hydra all over again” Darcy says and pushes away from Steve, pulling the papers apart once more. “How does he interact with Jarvis if he's a vampire?” she asks him.

“Frost makes human clones” Steve sights. “He can bite them again and create an infinite amount of slaves and clones” he reveals.

“That is just fucking great” Darcy grumbles sarcastically. “Really Steve” she complains. “Every time!” she hisses. “Every time you get into a mess it is so huge that fucking secret agencies go up poof in flames like they never existed” she hisses at him.

“Don't you think I would like some sweet vacation without any world ending drama too?” he asks her, crossing his arms in front of his chest and putting the tablet down on the desk.

Darcy immediately grabs it and swipes through the information. “Have you set up an algorithm that shows you where no vampire activities are reported?” she questions him. “Because if Jarvis is covering vampire tracks … and I know Jarvis … he will know that he is doing a bad thing, he will leave hints and if there is a place where absolute no activities show up, then that is the place you will find Frost at” she tells Steve.

“That is quite clever” Sorin voice interrupts them and both she and Steve jump a feet.

“Freaking Frigga, can none of you knock!” Darcy screeches, eyes darting to him immediately.

“My apologizes my queen” he grins at her sharply. “We will make sure to inform the king of this splendid idea ...” he says with a twinkle in his eyes. “But I suggest that you leave” he tells Steve pointedly. “And my queen should go to bed. The master is due to back at any moment, his patience with the Cabal is drawing thin” Sorin says.

Steve's eyebrows shoot up in complete surprise at Sorin's words but Darcy simply shoves the tablet back into Steve's hands and flops down on the bed.

“I will find out what you are playing at Sorin, at some point I will figure you out” she tells him but he only grins and bows before disappearing. “Off you go Steve and please refrain from telling Dracula about this” she says while gesturing around.

He looks at her with an undescribable expression on his face. “Of course my queen” he tells her, grins mischievously and is gone within an blink of an eye.

Darcy sits on the bed and puts her head in her hands. What the ever living fuck had happened to her live. How could she know whom to trust after this reveal? Trusting Steve was a risk, he had been with Dracula for a year, but trusting Sorin was even riskier. What was the vampire playing at and what would she do, now that she knew that the Avengers where probably compromised.

Was Tony even still alive? She was afraid that he was dead but on the other hand she was more afraid of a genius like Tony being turned into a vampire … by an even more batshit crazy vampire than Dracula was. What was she to do? She couldn't even find a moment of peace it seemed. Her mind razed.

She breathed in and out deeply. Okay, she thought to herself, lets check the facts. Evil clone Tony was probably working for the bad guys. Real Tony was either death or a vampire. Natasha could probably be trusted but she couldn't reach her without alerting evil Tony. Steve was probably on her side, she would need to tread carefully. Sorin … Sorin had helped her before, loopholing Dracula's orders but there was no way to tell whom he was loyal to, even thought he appeared to not outright rat her and Steve out to Dracula … she had the distinct feeling he wasn't loyal to Frost either which meant he had his own agenda.

Her guess that she had some kind of power over the vampires was true. Steve had immediately followed her orders and so had Sorin, calling her queen and everything. That further confirmed her suspicion that Dracula kept her away from the other vampires on purpose, so that she couldn't interact with them. She wondered if it was because he thought she could turn his court against him or if he was using her as a sitting duck to draw out Frost.

Darcy suspected it was the later one. She doubted she could turn his vampires against him, they would never follow her, a newly turned vampire with qualms about feeding from the source as he had called it. Which meant he was using her to draw out Frost but why would the other vampire attack her?

While she was pondering her situation and what she could do she slowly drifted away into sleep, vaguely award of a familiar scent and broad arms wrapping around her waist. Her last senses faded while her instincts told her that she was safe once more and she eagerly cuddled against the body behind her even though she was somewhat award of whom it was she was cuddling with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the plot thickens!  
Can Darcy trust Steve? What about Sorin? And pooooor Tony?
> 
> My muse is back and I'm delighted by it, even though the chapters are much shorter than before.  
Enjoy and tell me what you think! I love comments and suggestions!


	10. Pillow fortress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no beta reader so beware!
> 
> Darcy has **green** eyes in this story. It will be explained later on.

It was still quite early or late, however you might look at it, when Darcy woke again. The sun had not yet set, she could somehow tell this without needing to look out of the windows, which of course were cast close by heavy curtains. Her body was still feeling warm and had the pleasant buzzing of recent sleep and she felt very content at the moment.

Her eyes fluttered open to a broad blue and muscular chest and she bites her lips to keep in the sigh which threatened to escape. He was fast asleep. She lay very still while she studied him, there was no indication that he was awake but she couldn't be too sure about it.

What would Natasha do?

Beside try to kill him of course, because she was sure she couldn't do that.

Natasha would find a way to gather the information she needed and escape without anyone being the wiser. Natasha would analyze her enemy and then act accordingly.

Darcy moved her head a little to get a better look at the vampire king's face.

Natasha would make him think she was loyal and seduce the information right out of him and then escape before anyone was the wiser. Darcy could do this, she was pretty confident in her power of getting everyone to like her, besides … the vampire king seemed pretty interested in her neck, which was new for her, guys usually tended to go for her girls but she could work with a neck fetish. Darcy giggled to herself silently.

She blinked a few times studying his face, he was handsome enough, she snuggled back against him, and then her super duper vampire ears picked up a noise. Suddenly very alert she strained to hear more, why had she woken up in the first place? There it was again. She blinked. Was that giggling? But it didn't come from the vampire in front of her.

Slowly, ever so slowly she turned her head upwards to see a flock of tiny blue vampire kids hanging upside down on the canopy of the bed, right above them. The three of them where staring at her with wide curious and very bright red eyes.

“Dala?” one of them blabbed curious. It was a little boy, wearing a black romper with a white print reading “You suck too” and she had to stifle her amusement. Slowly, every so slowly she moved out of Dracula's hold.

“Hello little ones” she waves at them and they grin at her sharply, showing off their fangs. “What are you guys doing here?” she questions in a whisper.

“Dala Dala Dala” the first one chants while pointing at Dracula and she grins at him.

“Oh I see, well Dala is sleeping so how about you guys come down here?” she suggested and pats the bed beside herself. “We can build a pillow fort” she tells them and the three miniature vampires jumped down to land beside her on the bed. One of them peered at “Dala” curiously and she gently pulled the toddler away from the sleeping vampire king.

“If only I had a camera and it would work on you guys” she muses silently while moving off the bed. “Come one little ones” she urged them a little, grabbing pillows and pushing a the chair against the desk, draping a blanket above it to create a small fortress. The little kids immediately dash towards it, eagerly hiding in the dark place, small eyes glowing red in the darkness.

She pulls the heavy curtains of the bed close in hopes that it would muffle the sounds of the kids enough for Dracula to continue sleeping. The curtains fall close around the bed silently and she feels nervous once again, turning back to look at the fortress she had improvised, three little pairs of gleaming eyes look right back at her.

Grabbing the bear rug, a few more pillows and a blanket she crawled into the fortress with the kids. “You like our fortress?” she asks them, not expecting an answer, they looked about two years old at the most. One of the three, he was wearing a red romper with little drops on it, talked a little gibberish before snuggling into her lap. She stroke through his fine white hair and hummed softly. Soon enough the other two got jealous and crawled all over her so she laid down on the bear rug with them.

Blue, she had dubbed him thus because he wore a blue romper with a print that read “Feeling blue? Never!” which matched marvelous with the vampires blue skin and had her snickering at the pun. He was animatedly talking nonsense at her while making tiny roaring noises which she immediately followed with fake cries for help. That had the other two giggling and trying to growl at her too. When she raised her arms and growled playfully, grabbing Red to tickle him the other two giggled almost as loudly as Red. She had a lot of fun with the kids and that was probably the reason she hadn't heard Dracula rise.

So when the cover of their fortress was pulled back she looked like a deer caught in the headlight while Red jumped at her with a tiny playful roar. She recovered a second later and caught him, tickling his sides which had him squirming and shrieking with laughter.

“Dala!” Black called joyfully and raised his arms at the vampire king.

Darcy watched fascinated as he picked the child up and placed him on his shoulder, talking with him gently in a language she couldn't understand. The toddler listened attentive, sitting on the shoulder of the vampire king like he belonged there.

“I'm sorry if we woke you” she tells him softly when he turns his attention back to her once more. Red had crawled up her back and was peering over her shoulder curiously while Blue sat in her lap, playing with her hair and giggling when it tickled him.

“Dala eeen” Blue babbled at Dracula who nodded at him seriously like he understood him and Darcy couldn't help but find it cute.

“Dracula is quite surprised you managed to keep them silent enough for him to continue to sleep” he rumbles and squeezes himself into their fortress, the cover falling shut behind him.

“Oh … well they are quite cute” she tells him a little stunned. The darkness didn't bother her, she could see like it was bright day but she was still completely caught off guard by the fact that she was sharing a pillow fort with the vampire king and three baby vampires.

“They behave well for you” he tells her with a small smirk playing on his lips which suggested they where quite the rascals otherwise.

“I am good with kids, besides these three are super cute” she tells him. “You could ask Clint's kids, they can confirm that I'm a very good babysitter” she can't help the jab and watches satisfied when his gaze darkens and he huffs in anger.

“Dala mama nuuu mimi baba” Red babbles drawing Dracula's attention and he sights.

“Come” he gestures for them to follow him and he throws back the cover of their pillow fort and moves outside. “Your mother is no doubt already searching for you” he scolds and the toddlers waddle after him with various expressions of pouts on their faces. He says something more in what she believed to be romanian and they whine at him.

Darcy leaves the fortress after them and stands up, watching fascinated when Dracula called “Malika” and a few moments later a female vampire appeared. She gasps in obvious relief and the toddlers rush into her open arms. They babble at her and she listens attentive, obviously understanding their gibberish like only a mother could.

They talk, the female bows awkwardly with the toddlers hanging all over her and then her eyes fall on Darcy and she bows deeply, saying something to her while sounding obviously relieved and somehow desperate. Darcy can't figure out what it meant, it didn't seem like the mother was thanking her for finding her kids, this was something else. She looked at Dracula for help in translating but he ignored her and send the female and the toddlers away, they waved before they disappeared. It was cute … suspiciously cute.

“So ...” she drawls with a smirk on her lips. “Are you cuddling with toddlers a lot Dala?” Darcy asks him innocently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry but I needed something cute okay???!!!!


	11. Playing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Darcy has **green** eyes in this story. It will be explained later on.

That cheeky female was challenging him, if it had been anyone else he would have probably attacked first and asked questions later but she looked at him in a challenging way, waiting for his reaction. She was testing the water he realized. He let it slide, if he wanted her to cooperate with his plans he needed her at least somewhat sympathetic towards their cause.

Dorian, Nichifor and Silviu had helped in his endeavor immensely, even if Malika had been furious with him for calling her children to him without her. She had taken one look at the queen and realized that her children never were in any kind of danger, but he knew she was furious, even if she had hid it well from him. The younger female was a vengeful harpy if she wanted to be and Dracula knew she would ruin at least one of his favorite capes … again.

His queen had reacted in exactly the way he had predicted. She had immediately taken to the toddlers and much to his amusement even played with them. The three little rascals where quite taken with her too, babbling their complaints when he send them off again.

“Occasionally” he tells her with a smirk of his own.

Her eyebrows rise in obvious surprise at his reaction before a thoughtful look creeps across her features. She turns her back to him and wanders towards the wardrobe, pulling it open and studying the clothes before finally picking out one of his black dressing gowns. Shooting a fleeting look in his directions she moves into the bathroom and shuts the door.

Curious. He knew she was quite a chatty female, so her silence could only mean she was mulling over something, he doubted she had grown demure all of sudden. It did not take her long to return, her hair still wet and pulled up in a messy bun, a few tendrils of hair had escaped it and fell around her neck in a teasing way, the pale white flesh tauntingly showing.

She walked past him wordlessly, his dark robe far too long on her small form, it trailed on the floor behind her but stretched so nicely around her chest, giving him a nice view. “Is there any breakfast yet?” she inquired softly, looking around.

Dracula moves across the room swiftly, catching her by surprise when he moves one arm around her waist, moving her flush against him. She looks at him wide eyed when he offers her his wrist and for a moment he thinks she is going to accept.

“I'll wait then” she hisses and turns her head, pushing away from him. He allows her to slip from his arms and she grabs her music device, pushing the little buds into her ears and settling down in the windowsill with a plush cushion she grabbed from the bed. He can hear soft music playing while she flips through the device, finally settling on something. Her eyes close and she remains sitting still, listening to her music.

He leaves to hunt.

Darcy's eyes snap open as soon as she felt him leave, her senses were getting better she realized and so was her hunger. She wasn't even really hungry but it had seemed like a safe question to ask him, she should have known that he would take it as an invitation. The past week the blood bags had simply been there when she woke and she had not questioned it.

A few seconds later a disgruntled looking Sorin appeared in the room. “The master send me to keep you company my queen” he sounds polite enough but she knows he's been send to keep an eye on her.

“Thank you Sorin” she tells him. “I'll just listen to some music unless you want to talk about what has you looking like someone pissed into your blood?” Darcy inquires, having paused her music and removed one of the earbuds. She looked at him, expecting him to refuse to talk to her but he surprises her with a deep sigh.

“Malika is angry, it is nothing you should concern yourself with my queen.” Sorin tells her sounding strained.

Darcy perks up at the familiar name and quickly turns to look out of the window again, hoping the vampire couldn't see her expression or read too much in her interest to talk to him. “Malika?” she questions softly, hoping to sound nonchalant. Thankfully she had spoken with Sorin on various occasions in the last week, so her question wouldn't be too suspicious.

“My wife” Sorin supplies.

“Ouch that's bad pizza dude, what did you do?” Darcy asks turning to look at him once more, eyes wide. “Did you get banished to sleep in a coffin?” she wants to know with a grin on her face. His WIFE! She mentally screamed. That meant the three toddlers where his!

Sorin snorts a little before shaking his head. “It's not me she is angry with” he tells her, his own eyes blazing red with hidden fury.

“Ohhh, dodged the bullet there” Darcy giggles. “So? Who has angered the lady vampire?” she asks, already knowing the answer but Sorin shakes his head.

“It's nothing. She is just angry with the master” Sorin tells her, barely containing a growl of his own.

“Oh … well I hope that whatever it was that angered her wasn't too bad” Darcy says, patting his hand in sympathy.

That bastard! She should have known that the toddlers had been too good to be true. He had taken the kids from the lady vampire, it was no wonder that the vampiress had been so distraught when she arrived and relieved when she saw that they were fine. Darcy barely managed to gulp down her own growl, she had fallen for it like a noob. She bit her lip in anger but before she could come up with anything else to say Dracula reappeared and send Sorin away. Darcy didn't miss the way Sorin glared at Dracula before he left, she had never seen him show such open hostility towards the vampire king before.

“I want to go shopping” she tells him bluntly and his gaze snaps to her while she takes the blood bags from him. They were warm once again. He quirks a brow at her and she gestures towards the robe she is wearing. “I need clothes and your medieval choices are driving me crazy” she tells him.

“These” she grabs her boobs. “Need support and not some thin silk straps threatening to rip” she continues and then smiles at him flirtatious. “I'm supposed to be your trophy wife so I should go spend your money, right master?” she purrs and flutters her eyelashes. He laughs darkly at her words before quickly pulling her against him once more, face buried in her neck faster than she could react.

She squeals in shock when his fangs scrap across her neck. “Don't think that Dracula can't recognize when he is being mocked my queen” he purrs into her ear and nibs at it lightly. “But he is amused enough by your display to allow it” he tells her pulling back. He moved one of his hands in front of her face and twisted his fingers, a black credit card appearing in his hand.

Darcy was quite stunned when he pushed it into the palm of her hand and stepped back from her, she twisted it in her fingers and found the yellow batman sign printed on the card.

“You should drink” he tells her, once again pushing the blood bags towards her. “Sorin will take you to an appropriate place” Dracula informs her. “Do enjoy yourself” he grins darkly.

“Did you pick the design?” she questions, twirling the batman styled credit card between her fingers with a wry smile on her lips, a bastard he may be, but that was hilarious.

“The Captain suggested you would enjoy the sentiment” Dracula tells her with a small nod of his head.

“I do” she tells him and takes one of the blood bags, biting down eagerly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Darcy is going to buy so much things! Bwahahahaha
> 
> I have no beta reader and it is late around here, I will reread for mistakes tomorrow. I'm too tired now but I wanted to share anyway.


	12. Witch bakery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Darcy meets a friend?  
Darcy has **green** eyes in this story. It is hinted in this chapter why.

Darcy wasn't a Twilight fan, really she wasn't, she never liked the idea of pale pasty boys that glittered in sunlight and were supposed to be vampires, that was just ridiculous. If anything, the only good thing about that movie were the werewolves and the Volturi. But this, she couldn't let this opportunity slip past her.

“One a scale from one to ten, while one is _Are you kidding me_ and ten is _I will kill Clint's entire family_, which one do you think he would hate more?” she questions Sorin, holding up two shirts. One read _#Team Jacob_ and one read _#Team Edward_.

The vampire blinked at her and then at the shirts slowly. “I gather that this is some kind of joke but I do not understand it” Sorin tells her and she laughs loudly.

“Don't bother, he will hate both of them equally. Not that he will understand the joke” a female voice states and Darcy turns around, she had heard the approach of two people but this was a mall, there were a lot of people running around so she had kind of blocked it out. Before her stood the witch queen, looking perfectly human and dressed in a mint green dress that could have been right out of a forty's movie.

“Hello again” the witch tells her offering her hand which Darcy shakes. “Sorin” the witch acknowledges him with a calculating look on her face.

“Queen Katharina” his own enchanted face betraying nothing, he looked really strange as a human. He had put on a glamour necklace as he had called it and bluish skin had turned a normal rosy color, white hair turned blond and his red eyes faded into a soft blue color. He looked like the picture posture pretty boy she normally despised, they normally were so full of themselves.

Darcy's gaze travels over the male the witch had brought. He looked human enough, tall and well dressed, with a bald head and piercing eyes. He smiled friendly enough but it also seemed kind of predatory and he only glanced at her briefly, kept his eyes on Sorin most of the time.

“May I introduce you to Kaulder, he is my witch hunter” Katharina tells her and Darcy's gaze and attention snap back to her.

“Witch hunter? But ...” Darcy trails off and the witch queen smiles.

“Yes. I send him after those who decide eating children is completely okay” Katharina tells her. “How about you pay for those and we drink a coffee, I know a lovely little bakery just around the corner” she suggests, green eyes twinkling.

Darcy usually would snap at her that she couldn't drink any coffee anymore but she has the feeling the witch wants to tell her something she can't say in public. “Sure” she agrees and Sorin starts to protest immediately.

“Oh hush Sorin, we both know that Drake ordered you not to do anything to jeopardize the treaty and I would be sooo offended if your queen wouldn't join me” Katharina tells Sorin who looks torn.

“Fine” he snaps at her. “But you can't touch her, he would know and I would have to tell him that you were here” Sorin reminds her and she rolls her eyes at him.

“Please, I was forced to marry the old bat or did you forget that?” she snaps at him and her eyes gleam yellow for a moment before she seems to get a hold of her emotions. “We'll wait outside” she informs them. “You should totally buy him the batman boxers” Katharina tells her with a wink and strolls out of the shop.

“What just happened?” Darcy asks Sorin who was twitching as if he couldn't decide if he wanted to flee or to attack the witch. He looked at her for the longest of moments before his shoulders sagged.

“You should talk with the witch” he finally tells her. “She will no doubt tell you useful things … but I must warn you that she has her own agenda” Sorin says. “Be careful, witches have their own laws and views of things and their queen is cursed with foresight … a dangerous thing that is” he warns her.

“My entire life is dangerous” she mumbles and hurries to finish her shopping, she was curious what the witch queen wanted to tell her. “Can I change into this right now?” Darcy asks the saleswoman who nods at her and cuts the tags off for her.

Darcy strolls out of the store in a snug fitting blood red longshirt with a wolf paw print and Team Jacob sprawled across her chest. The corner of the witch queen's mouth is tugged upwards and by the time she is standing beside her she is openly smiling.

“I'm so glad to have met you here” Katharina says. “I will assist you in your shopping if you allow” she offers and Darcy nods politely.

“Sure, you were in the same boat as me and managed to escape, so I'm taking all the advice I can get” she muses and hears a snort from the tall human, the witch hunter. “You don't happen to be available for hire, there is a vampire I don't particular like” Darcy asks him jokingly and he snorts even more.

“I like you. I'd take him on but I fear that I'm no match against his magic. You'd have to ask her to help too” the witch hunter says and nods his head towards the witch queen who rolls her eyes at him.

“No killing Dracula, both of you know that we still need him” she says nonchalant and Sorin growls in her direction, she simply makes a shushing motion at him and walks towards a bakery. “Ah sweet home” she sighs when she opens the door and the smell of vanilla, cinnamon and sugar hits Darcy's nose. “Darcy, please do come inside” she invites her in and then shots a teasing look at Sorin. “You will get her back in an hour. Kaulder will spare with you if you are bored” she tells the vampire and closes the door in his face.

What had been a busy bakery in a mall a moment before turned out to be an almost empty … well bakery but apparently not for humans. Drinks where being served that where glowing or creating floating bubbles and a few things flew across the room. A pair of spoons and a sugar dispenser dashed past her and drew her gaze to a small winding staircase that lead upstairs.

“Welcome to my bakery. I want you to know that you're always welcomed here” the witch queen tells her. “Now come on, we don't have much time to teach you” she pulls her along towards the staircase.

“Teach me?” Darcy stutters when the witch pulls her up the stairs. “You are going to teach me magic?!” she asks her completely shocked.

“Yes” Katharina tells her with a nod of her head. “You are going to need it, if you want to become stronger because obviously you are not the fighting type” the witch says. “There will be three spells you will need to survive this” Katharina says.

“Survive this? So you can really see the future?” she gasps.

“Yes” she confirms. “Three spells, first off all is a spell that will clear a mind of any outside or inside influence. It can help someone under mind control or reverse the effects of a blood lust. It is _Perspicuus Mens_, speak it with me, you will need this” the witch demands.

Roughly an hour later she is sitting in the Witch Bakery and drinking some kind of blood cocktail the witch had prepared for her, it tasted delicious. Looking out of the window she could see Kaulder, the witch hunter, and Sorin returning from wherever they have been. They stood outside of the bakery and waited.

“Should we invite them inside?” Darcy asks. “This seems kind of rude” she continues.

“They couldn't enter even if they wanted to” Katharine tells her guiding her towards the door.

“Why not?” Darcy asks. She had asked the witch many questions in the past hour and all had been answered, even if she thought that the witch hid a few things from her.

“This is a Witch bakery” Katharina smiles at her and opens the door, ushering her outside. “Kaulder, you are dismissed for today. I will see you in New York” she tells the hunter who bows and leaves. “Only witches can enter my bakery” Katharina tells her, green eyes which are so similar to her own are twinkling with amusement, and then she closes the door in her face.

“My queen” Sorin asks her when she doesn't move for a while. “Did the witch harm you?” he inquires and Darcy shakes her head.

“No … but I got some more things to buy before we return home” she tells him, not noticing how Sorin's eyes widen when she calls the castle home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally we know why Darcy's eyes are green in this story muahahahaha


	13. The broken door

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Darcy doesn't leave anyone behind!

Darcy strolls into the dining room taking in the scene before her. The large wooden double door was smashed to pieces and some parts where still hanging from the angles of the door. Sorin was trailing after her, carrying a few of her shopping bags, the rest would get delivered. She gives herself credit for only faltering a few seconds before continuing to walk.

Hyperion sat at the table and had his mouth stuffed in some kind of roast while a few nervous looking female vampires brought him more food and drinks. He leered at them openly and they looked frightened.

Modok seemed to be in his own little world, tipping away on a screen in front of his face and ignoring the chaos around him.

Attuma sat in a large bathtub and was eating in an equally disgusting manner as Hyperion.

“Hyperion” she hisses a little and the super villain looks up, completely startled at her appearance. “I see you finally learned to knock. Let's try to not destroy the door next time hmm?” she hisses at him, fangs showing and eyes blazing red.

For a short moment his face shows his confusion before his eyes lit up in recognition and he grins at her before he racks his eyes over her form. They linger on her chests for a real long time before he laughs loud and brilliantly.

“Team Jacob huh?” he questions, obviously understanding the reference.

“What can I say?” she purrs. “I always had a thing for muscles and not for glitter” she winks at him and his grin widens. “Go, you are dismissed” she tells the female vampires who had been serving him food, they look at her with grateful expressions before disappearing.

“I wasn't finished yet, why did you send them away?” Hyperion complains, glaring at her.

Picking up a slice of bread which is filled with cheese and meat she ventures towards Hyperion, grabbing a napkin along the way, she sat herself on the table in front of him. Pushing the bread to his lips she watches him take a bite and chew thoughtfully, his eyes firmly on her chest.

“You really need to learn to eat like a civilized person. Or are all super villains sloppy eaters?” she muses holding out the napkin for him to take. “You know” she tells him, moving in closer. “Dracula doesn't spill nearly half as much as you boys” Darcy chides him in a teasing tone, gesturing towards the mess he and Attuma had made.

“I wouldn't either if I were sucking on your neck” Hyperion tells her and grabs her wrist, taking another bite of the bread. She grins at him sharply showing off her fangs. “But seriously? Why not a Team Volturi shirt?” he questions with a full mouth and she wrinkles her nose at him.

“Chew and swallow you pig …. damn … that is a fantastic idea, I guess I need to spend more of Dracula's money on my next shopping trip” she muses, tapping her chin with her finger. “I can't believe you watched those movies” she laughs at him.

“I can't believe you are wearing that shirt” he replies with a grin. “Dracula can't be pleased about it?” he inquires.

“Oh he hasn't seen it yet … besides … I don't think he will understand the reference” Darcy muses. “And we are not going to tell him are we?” she pushes a finger over her own lips and smiles mischievously.

The alien super villain grins at her.

“Aren't you with the Avengers?” Modok suddenly questions, finally having looked up from his screens to glare at her.

“I was … and then biting happened, so much biting” she shows off her fangs and smiles at him.

The evil genius rolls his eyes at her.

She turns her attention back towards Hyperion. “You are going to repair that door” she tells him and he snorts.

“Am I now?” he questions arrogantly.

“Yes, most definitely” she purrs at him and slips into his lap.

“And why should I do that?” he raises an eyebrow at her, moving an arm around her waist.

“Because by now your scent is all over me” she tells him tapping his nose. “And unless you repair that door, I'm going to tell Dracula you got handsy with me” she smirks at him.

“You think that bothers him?” Hyperion questions, clearly not believing her.

“Yep” she tells him popping the p a little, she felt Dracula's presence and knew he would walk through the destroyed door at any moment.

“Hyperion” the sharp voice of Dracula cuts through the room and said villain looks up. “Take your paws off my queen right now before I remove them for you” he growls and Hyperion let's go of her as if burned.

She smirks at him teasingly before moving off his lap and standing. Dracula is at their side in a matter of seconds and glares at the other villain, taking her hand in his. Reaching up she gently tugs on the collar of his armor and is surprised when he allows her to pull him down.

“Relax master, I slipped and Hyperion was nice enough to catch me” she purrs at him, brushing her lips across his cheek. The lie was rather blatant but no one said anything, moving away from him she winked at Hyperion who was looking between the two of them wide eyed. “Besides … he promised to repair the door he accidentally broke” she adds.

Dracula catches her gaze, his expression unreadable, before he moves her hand to his mouth and kisses her knuckles. “Wait for me in our bedroom my queen” it sounds more like a question but she doesn't miss the unspoken order.

To be honest she is rather glad about it. She moves away from him a little and can't help but add “Don't let me wait too long. I went shopping with Sorin and I'm sure you wish to see a few of the things I bought” she purrs at him.

Inwardly she giggles when his eyes widen a fraction before he schools his expression once more.

She can hear water splashing and Attuma laughing loudly while she walks outside.

“I didn't know you could act” Sorin says softly, a surprised look on his face while they walk through the corridors.

“Well … me neither” she admits. “But I couldn't just turn around and leave, those vampiress looked terrified and I will never stand by when someone needs help, besides … Hyperion is an ass and deserves to deal with growly Dracula” Darcy tells him.

“It still was rather courageous” Sorin says. “The master will not be pleased” he warns her and she shrugs.

“I don't care at the moment. I'm feeling rather faint” she admits and she honestly did, it had been an exhausting day and meeting the Cabal and dealing with Hyperion had drained her.

“You haven't feed in some time. I will see to it that the master doesn't make you wait too long” Sorin assures her, guiding her towards the bedroom, he offered her a hand which she gladly took. 

Darcy took a little while before his words registered in her brain.

“What do you mean?” she asks Sorin, head snapping to look at him. “Why should he make me wait for the bloodbags?” Darcy questions him, narrowing her eyes at him, he flinches slightly but she catches it. “Sorin, where are those blood bags coming from?” she demands to know.

Sorin opened his mouth with the obvious intend to lie to her but a female voice interrupts them.

“My queen” a vampiress calls.

Jumping from an opening in the ceiling the vampiress lands elegantly on the floor, two more followed shortly behind her and Darcy recognizes them as the females from the dining room.

“Please allow us to help you groom” the female asks her, bowing deeply.

“We are very grateful for your help and want to show our appreciation” the second one insists.

She looked at Sorin for help but he only smirked.

“An excellent idea” he drawls. “The queen is feeling quite exhausted from her trip and in need of blood” Sorin tells the three females who immediately move towards her and usher her into their arms.

She sends Sorin a glare when the females teleport her away with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh more secrets!  
Sorin, safed by the bell 🤣


	14. Team Jacob

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy

Dracula returned to his room fuming in anger to find her lounging in the windowsill, listening to music and thankfully not smelling like Hyperion anymore. He might have just lost it if that had been the case. Instead he caught the faint smell of other females on her and her own alluring scent was amplified by moonshine oil.

He growled possessively and she bared her fangs at him defiantly, removing her earbuds.

“What were you thinking?” he demands to know moving to her side.

She let's out a squeal of fright when he grabs her chin, nuzzling into her neck. Taking a deep breath of her scent a bit of his anger faded when he found Hyperion's scent almost completely gone from her skin.

“I was thinking that I wouldn't watch Hyperion manhandle those woman” she hisses at him, pushing his head away from her. “And I think I handled him just fine” she sounds a bit smug about that and he snarls at her.

“His stench of arousal was all over you. What would you have done if I hadn't arrived when I did? His intention were clear” he questions her with a barley contained growl.

She would have been no match against Hyperion. Newly turned and unable to port away … and it would have been his fault for not showing her how to use her powers. He had kept her secluded so she wouldn't grow too powerful but realized now that it was a mistake, it wouldn't do to have a weak queen at his side.

“I knew you would arrive soon. I felt it. I was playing for time AND I kept my end of the bargain” she tells him with a hiss. “Don't think I didn't hear the crude remarks Hyperion and Attuma made. They think exactly what you wanted them to think, so don't you dare turn this on me. This is exactly what you demanded of me. I played your damned trophy wife” she snarls.

“And in return you leave Clint's family alone” she adds more softly.

She was right of course and that made him pause. His queen was staring at him defiantly like always, it had been a long time since someone outsmarted him in a discussion and she had done so in less than two minutes.

“It was a dangerous game to play” he warns her.

“More dangerous than the game we are playing?” she asks him. “When were you going to tell me that it is your blood I'm drinking?” his queen demands to know.

He smiles at her sharply, she is shaking with anger, her green eyes blazing red with her fury. She is beautiful.

“How did you find out about that?” he questions her surprised.

“Sorin mentioned that he would make sure you wouldn't let me wait too long to feed. I figured out the rest and you just confirmed my suspicion” she tells him.

“And I let you wait didn't I? My queen” he purrs at her and brings his own wrist to his mouth, biting down hard to draw blood.

Her blazing red eyes focused on the blood instantly and he was surprised when after only a short moment of hesitation her small hands wrapped around his arm and her mouth moved over the wound, fangs sliding into his flesh.

Darcy felt him move them somewhere, birds where chirping and the wind moved the trees around them, the leaves rustling in a very calming way. She was thankful for the distraction because his blood tasted heavily, rushing down her throat hot and tasty. It had been a split second decision to take him up on his offer, fighting him would only have been exhausting and she hoped to gain either information or at least make him think she finally succumbed to his charms.

She drank until her hunger was subdued and then slid her fangs out of his wrist, licking her lips she moved away from him to look around.

“Where are we?” she questions him, twirling on the spot and taking in the vast forest around them.

“The Redwoods” he hums a little and she thinks he looks far too smug and stalks towards her in a way that has her backing away.

“And why are we here?” she questions, eyes still red and wide she ponders if she should run.

“Hyperion explained your shirt” he tells her nodding towards her _#Team Jacob_ shirt.

“God damn it that rat ass bastard” she curses with wide eyes while still backing away, careful to not stumble over any tree root.

His grin widens. “Don't be that way my queen. Dracula found it very amusing” he tells her.

“You did?” Darcy questions distrustful, coming to a halt and eyeing him.

“Yes” he nods still approaching her. “Know that no creature in this forest is going to harm you” he tells her and then he is gone, just like that.

The “It's a trap” meme flashed through her mind.

Wind blows through the forest once more and she catches a red leave in her hand when it twirls around her in the air. It was very pretty so she tucked it behind her ear before selecting a direction at random and beginning to walk until she found a large tree.

Contemplating how to do this best, she decided to simply use the walk on walls trick, she had practiced that a lot in the last week, bored out of her mind while trapped in the mountain castle.

Walking up a tree vertically was easier than she thought and she moved up, sidestepping tree branches, until she could jump onto a thick branch and overlook the forest. She could spot nothing but trees, most of them with dark red leaves, there seemed to be no kind of civilization nearby. Turning to look the other way she instantly spotted the ruins of a castle on a mountainside.

With a thoughtful hum she carefully moved off the tree and decided to head towards the ruins.

She feels a presence before she can make it out sound and scent wise, and when her eyes land on the huge white wolf her green eyes widen before a wide smile spreads across her face when the wolf trots closer. 

Darcy doesn't say anything and offers a hand for the beast to sniff on, its huge, large enough for her to easily climb onto its back. She wondered if he would let her, then she could totally pretend to be princess Mononoke for a moment or two.

Running her fingers through the snow white fur she scratches his ears before leaning in.

“I know its you” she grins when his red eyes move to meet hers.

She continues to scratch his ears and eventually he lays down on the soft moos covered wood floor so she could reach better. Darcy didn't know why he would do that, but it was cute as fuck and she had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing when he wagged his tail. He was so large he could probably bite her in two with a snap of his muzzle.

“So we are going full Bram Stoker here?” she questions. “Shapeshifting into wolfs, bats, rats and mist and all that like?” Darcy questions him.

He huffs at the mention of the novel but nods his head.

“Awesome. I can't wait to learn that” she muses and he looks at her imploringly.

“Ohh” she realizes. “Oh, you want me to try to shift into a wolf?” Darcy questions and he nods once more.

This was new, he was teaching her things. His expression was impossible to read due to the fact that he was a wolf, and she might be able to interpret a cat's look but definitely not a wolf's. Darcy swallowed down her nervousness, first they left her alone in a castle for a week and now this day.

He had given her no instructions but she hadn't needed instructions for her claws or wings, they just happened when she thought about them. Blinking slowly she thought about turning into a wolf and felt the strange sensation of some kind of power rushing through her and shift her body.

She awkwardly fell over on all her fours and struggled to gain control of her new body. When she finally managed to gain control of all of her limps, she rose on four shaky legs lifting her head, ears flickering. Darcy was far smaller than him, which was no surprise, he was far taller than her in his humanoid form too. Her fur was a deep brown and had lighter and darker patches in it.

Her nose twitched and she sneezed, the shift of senses was awfully strange but the strangest thing was the urge to catch her own tail, it wagged again and she jerked to control herself. An amused huff made her look at Dracula, he had given her space so far but now he came closer slowly nudging her side a little and then snapped his jaw twice, walking into the forest in a slow pace.

Somehow she knew that meant she should follow him and after a little awkward stumbling she managed to figure out how to walk in that form, four feet coordination, her tail wagged and the ears flickered.

They walked for a while before he decided to run and she dashed after him.

She shifted out of her wolf form and crashed into a tree.

“Oww god damn it” she cursed, hand on her nose. “Don't you dare laugh at me” she points a finger at where she can see Dracula's white wolf form out of the corner of her eye.

He was huffing, tongue lapping out. How a wolf managed to look so amused was beyond her.

“Do I need to concentrate to be a wolf the whole damn time?” she asks. “Gahhh, just when I was beginning to have fun” she grumbles, the soft earth and leaves underneath her felt nice on her skin.

He nods and she swears he was leering and then pointedly looked away from her.

“Oh fuck” she complains, bringing her hands up to cover her chest. “Where did my clothes go?!” she demands to know but of course the wolf didn't answer her.

She would never admit it out loud but sitting on the forest floor naked felt kind of good, like she was meant to be there. Lacking other options she shifted back into her wolf form, this time she did not fall and easily rose back to her feet and ran to his side, playfully snapping at him before rushing farther into the woods.

He gave chase.

Darcy was surprised to find that she was a faster runner than him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dracula decided to start teaching Darcy things after realizing how easily Hyperion could have harmed her.  
Darcy on the other hand had a very, very eventful day. Meeting and learning magic from the witch queen, meeting the Cabal and now getting taught by Dracula.  
She is kind of giddy and carefree. Running as a wolf is fun.


	15. Count Count

Running as a wolf was a very freeing experience, she wondered if it would feel similar if she flew. She hadn't dared to try it in the castle, the hallways weren't large enough and she had tested out the barrier around the castle on the ground. She hadn't dared to try and fly in the gardens in fear of smacking right into the barrier.

With her thoughts wandering she turned back into a human mid jump and flew through the air, wings spread out around her, allowing her to glide through the air. Surprised she flapped them to gain height and somehow managed to land hanging upside down on a branch.

“Wow, that was close” she breaths out surprised, eyes wide, claws digging into the tree branch. “And hey! My clothes are back” she grins to herself.

Dracula breaks through the underbrush beneath her, looking around and sniffing the forest floor. She had to bite her lips to keep from giggling. He followed her trail and cocked his doggy head to one side in confusion.

She couldn't help it anymore, she giggled and his blood red eyes immediately snapped up and settled on her. He moves closer to the tree and sits down in front of it, patting the floor with his paw.

“You want me to come down?” she questions and he nods. “Hmmm what if I don't feel like it?” Darcy questions in a teasing tone, moving to sit on top of the branch, wings folding against her back while she swings her legs from the branch.

Something flickers across his eyes before he gives her the best puppy dog eyes she has ever seen.

“No, not that look!” she complains holding a hand over her eyes. “This is so unfair” Darcy complains peeking through her fingers. “Seriously?” she questions jumping of the branch and using her wings to land softly beside him.

“How are you pulling this off?” she demands to know, grabbing his snout and hugging him to herself.

Darcy felt him shift in her hold and immediately let go off him, suddenly very award that the cute wolf was anything but a cute wolf. How could she have disillusioned herself like this. One week of solitude and she was so starved for attention and human interaction that she kind of forgot what situation she was really in.

“A spell to appear alluring” he tells her.

He stood two steps away from her, towering over her like always, but for once he made no move to touch her.

“Dracula is surprised it worked on you” Dracula says and she can pick up on the curiosity in his tone. “You shook his other spell off easily even before being turned” Dracula thoughtfully states, eyes traveling over her curiously.

She blushed furiously under his gaze. Oh god, what was she doing? Natasha would probably skin her alive, she needed to get back on track. What she really needed was a break though, this day was mentally exhausting. She needed to get out of this situation and make him think she was slowly coming around.

“I love animals” she tells him. “Maybe I wanted it to work” she mumbles and turns away from him.

That should do the trick, hopefully … he would think that she was struggling against accepting her fate, now she only needed to get him to bring her back to the castle. A good long nap would squish down any sympathetic feelings she might have.

“I'm … really tired” she mumbles, rubbing her arms to appear uncomfortable. “Can we please go home?” Darcy questions.

For a moment nothing happens, she stands there, staring into the woods, and then his arms wrap around her.

“Of course my queen” he mumbles into her neck.

A few days later somewhere in a disclosed location:

“Ma! We got a package” Lila shouts carrying the large but light package inside.

“Really?” Laura mused.

She looked the parcel over, it was addressed to her and had many foreign stamps on it. Must have come from oversee. Laura frowned she hadn't ordered anything and Clint only send something here in an emergency.

“Why don't you go upstairs and watch some show or movie with your brothers?” she asks Lila. “I'll make chocolate pudding for dessert if you go now” she prompts and Lila sprints off eagerly.

Carefully cutting the parcel open she pushes away some of the filling material and pulls out a large hand puppet. Count Count from Sesame street. Smiling to herself her tension fades, she didn't know why she was so paranoid at the moment.

With a giggle she pushes her hand into the puppet to intimidate the laugh and freezes when her fingers brush a small folded piece of paper inside the puppet. Slowly she wraps her fingers around it and pulls her hand back.

Unfolding it she sees that it is a receipt from a store somewhere in Germany. The receipt is for two Count Count puppets and has a cashback withdrawal on it.

Laura turns it around and sees a familiar handwriting, it was written sloppy as if Darcy had been in a hurry.

_Quiverwing Quack_  
_Kuzco is a llama_  
_MLP is a great show and you should watch it_  
_From Russia with love, MS_

Laura sends a text to her husband.

“The kids are watching My little Pony so I can squeeze in a few minutes. What are you doing? Because I'm wearing your favorite red shirt and nothing underneath”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, Darcy managed to send a secret message while shopping with Sorin.  
She send a warning to Laura hurray!
> 
> Quiverwing Quack - means Hawkeye and Black Widow (cause Quiverwing Quack shoots arrows and is a red head)  
Kuzco is a llama - Tony was changed into a vampire  
MLP is a great show and you should watch it - MLP referes to the kids show My Little Pony but in this case it means the farm is being watched  
From Russia with love, MS - I'm in trouble MinaSue/aka Darcy
> 
> Remember to feed your author with praise! 😛


	16. Regrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit more of Dracula

Dracula was reluctant to let go off her once they arrived. Her scent was amplified by the moonshine oil, no doubt the females had tricked her into using it, her skin was soft and warm underneath his touch and oh so inviting.

“Dracula?” she questions softly.

She was still facing away from him, wrapped in his arms with his face buried in her neck. His queen was very still, she was tense and flinched when his fangs scrapped her skin. She feared him, his queen, the one who was supposed to spend eternity with him feared him and … strangely enough he didn't want that … not anymore.

“Can you please let me go?” she asks tugging at his armored glove in a gentle manner.

“You should wash” he grumbles into her neck, slowly letting his arms fall from around her form. “The moonshine oil, get rid off it” he growls out.

“The oil? Is it bothering you?” she questions curiously. “I thought it smelled quite pleasant, the women gave it to me as a thanks for saving them from Hyperion” his queen says, looking at him with her deep green eyes.

For a moment he ponders if he should lie to her but then he breaths in another wave of her scent.

“It is … a kind of aphrodisiac. Females use it on their skin to make the exchanging of blood more pleasurable” he tells her and her eyes widen before her pale skin flushes bright red, making his instincts scream at him to claim her.

“Get rid of it” he growls out before he turns and teleports away.

Darcy smirks as soon as he is gone, strolling to his desk and picking through the papers scattered there. She was surprised that the females had been right, he was furious about Hyperion's scent on her and obviously bothered by the vampire made oil.

The female vampires had brought her to a large bath and had showered her with praise and compliments. She counted it as one of the strangest experiences since becoming a vampire, but they had been quite informative.

With a sigh she puts the papers back as identically as possible before standing. She was tired but … it was probably better to take a shower now … Darcy had enjoyed watching him squirm, the female vampires had been very informative indeed.

She woke up a hours later to the soft sound of the bathroom door clicking shut, she could swear her slightly pointed ear had flickered too. Blinking her eyes open she looked towards the bathroom, there was no light shining from underneath the door but she could hear the water turning on.

Silly old bat, she thought to herself, brain still fuddled from sleep, she turned around and fell asleep again. The image of a small fuzzy white bat hanging upside down in the shower made her smile even in her sleep.

He showered in the dark, the remaining dark blood washing away underneath the warm water. Another dead end. They had followed a lead on Frost and had run into an ambush, slaughtering the other vampires had not been a challenge but it had taken up far too much time.

Not that he hadn't enjoyed ripping through them. Sorin had come and brought the news of a new lead and he had eagerly jumped at the opportunity. The scent of his queen and the feeling of her soft skin was haunting him. It hadn't bothered him at first, when they had been arguing, he had been so furious and she had been so defiant.

And then her scent had hit him like a soft forest breeze, when she sunk her fangs into his offered wrist. He had brought them to the Redwoods without really thinking about it and she had turned and looked around, obviously enjoying the beautiful forest. His gaze had fallen onto her shirt and that was when he decided to start teaching her.

The ghost of a smile played on his lips at the memory, she had been fascinated by his wolf form and hadn't been shy about touching him, rubbing her scent all over him. That had probably been one of the reasons why he felt the need to return the favor, she didn't know of course, she had much to learn.

Despite her unwillingness she had saved the females from Hyperion, who surely would have tried something. The alien was crude and used to getting what he wanted. There was a reason he usually send everyone away when meeting with the Cabal.

It was time to teach her how to be a vampire, he couldn't stall any longer, besides … her involuntary use of magic was dangerous, as had been proven when she drenched Hyperion with so much charm and alluring magic that the poor fool almost came in his pants … which although amusing, was also very disturbing.

He even repaired the door.

Dracula turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, drying himself off he returned to the bedroom, his gaze sweeping over the bed, taking in his queen.

She was sleeping on her side and facing towards him, there was a soft smile on her lips and she shifted lightly, she was dreaming. Her luscious brown hair was captured in a loose braid, a few locks escaping and framing her face.

He wondered what it would be like if she accepted him willingly, without the blood haze of being freshly turned, would she wrap her legs around him and pull his mouth to her neck demandingly like she had done when Hyperion had burst through the window.

Her pale neck screamed to be claimed. His fingers hovered an inch above her neck, almost ghosting over her skin. Snapping out of his thoughts he turned away and dressed, he had promised her not to touch her, and had already done so multiple times, granted, he had not forced her in his bed but he hadn't exactly been very honorable.

His gaze traveled back to the sleeping form of his queen, his very beautiful and powerful queen.

Maybe that had been a mistake.

A mistake he would remedy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys like it, it's damn hard to write from his perspective


	17. Malika

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More of Malika and lot's of dialog.  
Sorry about that but it had to happen to explain a few things

Darcy was already awake and dressed, sitting in the windowsill and staring out into the gloomy courtyard and even gloomier forest beyond it, her ipod played soft piano tunes, she was feeling quite melancholy.

Her senses picked up on a vampire that neared her, turning her gaze towards the door she could somehow make out a single figure coming down the hallway and stopping in front of the door.

Despite having somehow sensed it she still jerked in surprise when the person knocked on the door. For a moment she hesitated.

“Yes?” she called. “Who is there?” Darcy questioned cautiously.

“Malika my queen” the female voice filtered through the door.

Pausing the music she rose to her feet and moved to the door, opening it slowly. It was indeed the female vampire, Sorin's wife.

“Good afternoon my queen” the vampiress smiled at her and bows. “The master instructed me to teach you about our customs, may I come inside or do you want to move to the sitting room?” Malika inquires politely.

“The sitting room please” Darcy says after a short moment of letting the vampiress words sink in.

“Very good, I will help you pick out your necklace for today, would you prefer lace or would you like gold?” the vampiress questions her, moving into the bedroom.

“Why would I need a necklace?” Darcy questions curiously, watching the vampiress who strolled to a vanity on which several velvet boxes had been lain out.

She gasps surprised when Malika opened one of them and pulled out an expensive looking choker, which was no doubt made out of gold and had diamonds embedded into it. Smiling softly Malika walks towards her slowly and holds it out for her.

“It will signal that you are taken” Malika tells her, gesturing towards her own neck, which was covered in black lace with small red rubies woven into it.

“Oh” Darcy says, moving a hand up to rub across her neck. “Thank you” she tells Malika.

“It isn't to your likening?” Malika asks her clearly noticing her hesitation.

“It's not like I have a choice now is it?” she says with a shrug and then sighs. “I'm sorry … I'm really stressed and … I miss my family” she adds quietly, looking away from the vampiress.

Her emotions were getting the better of her, so many things had happened in the last twenty four hours and so many games were being played. Feminine blue arms wrapped around her in a gentle hug.

“If you wish I can inquire if you are allowed visitors” Malika hums softly, rubbing her back to comfort her.

Darcy pulls back from her in surprise and also because she was a little embarrassed to have broken down in front of a complete stranger.

“I don't think he would allow that.” Darcy tells her and the vampiress eyes soften.

“We can always try … besides … I could smuggle someone in here if the master is sufficient distracted” the vampiress offers her with a small smirk on her lips.

Darcy's gaze snaps to that of Malika in open surprise.

“Why would you do that?” she questions, not trusting the offer. “You cannot tell me you are this mad about him taking your kids … they are adorable by the way,” Darcy tries to figure the vampiress out, why was she even surprised, she was Sorin's wife.

The vampiress huffs.

“I am still mad about it … but that is not the reason I'm willing to help ease your homesickness” Malika tells her, her shoulders relax and she looks deep in though for a moment. “I simply know how it feels like” the vampiress tells her.

“But … you're a born vampire?” Darcy asks confused, looking the blue skinned vampiress over.

“Yes,” Malika says biting her lips softly. “My father was part of the business sect, he made … unsavory deals with vampires who didn't follow the king,” for a moment the vampiress trails off. “When his betrayal was discovered … my father offered me to Dracula so that his own life would be spared” Malika tells her.

Darcy gasps and covers her mouth with one hand in shock, she can't even manage to say something.

“I was sixteen at the time, a good age to get married back in the old times ...” by now Malika isn't looking at her anymore, her gaze is far away. “Dracula took my hand and ordered me to close my eyes … he then proceeded to kill my father and everyone in the house who had been involved” the vampiress says.

“He took me in, had his brides teach me how to read and write, how to do magic and defend myself. A lot more than women were allowed in those times. I own the master a lot” Malika tells her.

“Then why are you offering to help me?” Darcy questions her, the story of the vampiress seemed to be true, at least she had the strong feeling it was.

“I've seen the master take many brides and send them away after a century or so,” Malika says, bright red eyes settling on her once more. “But I've never seen him providing blood for anyone. I do believe the master feels more for you than he would like to admit … besides you are a good person. You will do him good” Malika tells her.

“You put a lot of trust in me for barely knowing me” Darcy tells her, a little perplex at the direction this conversation was taking.

“He changed you against your will and yet you have neither attacked my children nor left Nera and the girls to fend for themselves. You had the master fleeing his own bedroom when they gave you moonshine oil,” Malika laughs softly.

“Now be a good queen and put this on” Malika's red eyes are twinkling. “And I'll teach you how to drive that man crazy. I've known him for a few centuries after all” she tells her.

Darcy returns the smile of the vampiress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone **notice for future updates**
> 
> I'm in the third trimester - my second kid is due in December - this means I'll probably not update this story until next year.  
It will be reworked from the start due to mistakes (grammar etc.)
> 
> Then I'll start posting again.
> 
> I'm sorry it will take this long but I do this in the little freetime I find in between taking care of a 2 and a half year old toddler and being pregnant.
> 
> Wish you all the best and stay safe in these times!


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